Sentinel Colorado 7.9.2026

ALL BARK AND NO BYTE?

Aurora weighs regulations for data centers amid moratoriums in other cities

Excess Marx the spot for yet another whacky GOP candidate for Colorado governor

Help me understand something. How is it that new-style Republicans vociferously profess their disdain of Democrats, yet they go out of their way to support and nominate political candidates that drive even Team Red to vote for Team Blue in big numbers?

For newcomers and the forgetful, let me resurrect the 2010 gubernatorial race when the sanctioned GOP candidate, Dan Maes, was clearly so unhinged that former GOP Congressman Tom Tancredo stepped in as a conservative spoiler.

DAVE PERRY Editor

Maes surprised everyone by winning the GOP nomination in 2010, but he shell-shocked his fellow Republicans with his wild, unproven tales of being an undercover officer for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the thick of busting a crime ring in Liberal, Kansas.

The Denver Post in 2010 asked questions, and it turned out he never worked for or with KBI. He was fired as a police officer in Liberal after working there from 1983-1985, but no one would say why.

The stories and Maes’ behavior got weirder as the campaign wore on.

He made national headlines when he declared that a nascent bike-share program being fielded by then Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper was actually a secret-cabal-like pact to turn Denver into a United Nations socialist-communist city-nation.

“This is all very well-disguised, but it will be exposed,” The Denver Post reported Maes telling supporters in Centennial during a campaign event.

What was exposed was Maes’ tenuous grip on reality. So much so that Tancredo, a life-long capital-R Republican ditched his affiliation and ran as a third-party candidate to save Colorado from a fate worse than death: Hickenlooper’s moderate liberalism. Tancredo, who reviled immigrants long before it was fashionable, won his own star on the sidewalk hall of shame back in 2002. After reading about an 18-year-old Aurora honor student who was undocumented at the time, he turned him into what is now called ICE and demanded both the boy and his family be deported.

As you might imagine, Hickenlooper nailed the election and was governor for eight years. Maes got 11% of the vote that year.

Eight years later, GOP favorite Walker Stapleton had to withdraw from the gubernatorial contest after admitting that his campaign had fraudulently collected signatures to get him on the 2018 ballot.

QUIDNUNC

Oops.

He got on the ballot anyway during the state assembly and went on to stumble through a campaign that tripped him with questions about his famous family. Walker was the great-grandchild of Benjamin Stapleton, who practically invented Denver as mayor, had an international airport built and named after him and was also a raging member of the Ku Klux Klan back in the day.

Walker Stapleton famously told a Colorado Public Radio audience in 2018 that he was snoozing as the state treasure while the state legislature was neck deep in a $32 million public employee-retirement deficit quagmire.

“I think I was asleep by the time they finally passed the deal, which was 30 minutes prior to midnight,” Walker told CPR reporters.

Ha ha, ha, he was only kidding, he later said.

He got 42% of the vote against Jared Polis.

Four years later, doggy day care magnate Heidi Ganahl picked up the GOP gubernatorial mantle,

when nobody else would.

She coyly coddled election denier support running against incumbent Gov. Jared Polis. Despite giving real journalists the fingers-in-her-ears and “la-la-la-I-can’t-hear-you” treatment when asked about her promoting election deniers conspiracy theories, she jumped in head-first on right-wing extremist shows.

“We can stop ballot harvesting, we can clean up the voter rolls, we can put voter ID in at more places, we can provide transparency,” Ganahl told conspiracy theorist Sherronna Bishop on her podcast in 2022.

Ganahl got 39% of the vote.

Amateurs all, compared to air-head-apparent GOP gubernatorial nominee, Hold My Beer Victor Marx.

This is a guy who starts out his tale of “whoa”

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QUID HAS HEARD that you can take the craziness out of prison but not out of Tina Peters. Seems that from the moment Peters got her Get Out Of Jail Free card from Gov. Jared “Really” Polis, as well as her C-note and bus pass, on the way out of the hoosegow gate, it’s been a nonstop parade of Crazy Like A Fox News performances by Grand Junction’s most infamous felon. Your faithful affiant has had a long look at Peter’s Facebook account of “Here Tina Pe-

Quidnunc, whose name comes from the Latin “what now,” is out and about as often as possible to bring you news overheard in elevators, rest rooms and spied in various e-mail boxes.

ters Lies“ for the record — “Real Tina Peters: The Truth Matters” — and it’s creepier and crazier than Polis’ former fans ever imagined. Peters’ new journey to old dark places starts with a picture of her taking a deep breath outside of the state graybar hotel she’d been locked up in for two years. She’s fashionably wearing a fully zipped, heavily lined leather coat in what was reported to be 90-degree weather that day. Some like it hot, Quid understands, and some just don’t like reality. Since then, Peters has been raising money from fellow rabid deniers and jetting off to Las Vegas and even the White House. From there, she posted an assortment of photos with top members of the Trump regime, all looking at her with a whimsical verve that says, “at least you get to leave here.” Back in Colorado, she’s back to her old “freespeech” tricks. She heartily and heavily endorsed Rep. Scott Bottoms for governor, which surely accounted for 13 or 14 of the dozens of Republican

votes he got during the June 30 GOP primary election as one of three GOP candidates. Peters, as astute as she’s ever been as the Pride of the Western Slope, jumped into the Colorado election returns to provide her expert analysis. “WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR IN COLORADO. THE DEMOCRATS ARE STILL DECIDING WHO THEY’D PREFER TO WIN.” Peters said that state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer “believes Tina is guilty and clearly has not taken the time to review the evidence herself - evidence that has been available for years.” And Victor Marx, “is not capable of understanding the evidence and relies on what random low-status officials tell him.” It was all part of her witty and cerebral reference to Scott bottoming out in the election. Her Facebook rants unravel further as she goes along. On July 4, with nothing else to do, Peters posts: “So, you’re telling us that from Thursday at 3:27 pm…until this morning at 8:58am, only 4,850

Republican gubernatorial primary ballots have been counted, throughout the state?! With 64 counties counting ballots, that’s an average of only 75 ballots counted by each county, since mid Thursday afternoon.” Quid would be happy to message Peters to let her know that, the election was Tuesday, June 30, hon, and while she was away in prison, the state, county, city and federal governments continue to observe the federal holiday of July 4, and this time celebrating 250 years of the same rules of law that sent her to the clink, and that the days following Friday are still Saturday and Sunday, which government types don’t work in Colorado. So much has changed since Peters went to the Crowbar Motel. So much is the same since Polis broke her out. And that’s all the news that fits.

Amid flood of ‘dark money,’ harsh campaigns, Aurora sees just one political upset in the June primary contests

BY SENTINEL STAFF WRITERS

Despite expensive campaigns fueled by outside spending, Aurora voters apparently produced just one major local upset in the June 30 Colorado primary election.

Statewide, Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Across Aurora and portions of Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, voters largely mirrored statewide results. The exception came in House District 42, where challenger Sarah Woodson defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Mandy Lindsay with nearly 67% of the vote, according to tentative results.

In House District 41, incumbent Democratic Rep. Jamie Jackson defeated Aurora Public Schools board member Anne Keke with 55% of the vote, current results showed as of Tuesday.

Arapahoe County commissioners

Jessica Campbell and Leslie Summey apparently also won their Democratic primaries, while in Adams County, Karen DeAguero led Tyler Quick in the Democratic race for the open District 4 commission seat.

Republican Danielle Lammon has won the GOP nomination in Senate District 27 and will face Democratic Sen. Tom Sullivan in November.

House District 42

Woodson’s decisive victory marked Aurora’s biggest primary surprise after a campaign dominated by independent spending and attacks tied to an ethics complaint against Lindsay.

“I’m happy that they have put their trust in me,” Woodson said. “I’m going to work on the policies and lead with integrity.”

Woodson said she plans to focus on expanding mental health resources and crisis training for law enforcement, reforming Colorado’s construction-defects laws and promoting economic development through tourism initiatives.

A longtime Aurora resident, Woodson founded The Color of Cannabis, an organization focused on social equity and small-business access in the cannabis industry. She said her lobbying experience will help her be effective immediately if elected.

Woodson also praised Lindsay’s public service.

“She did her best to serve, and it is not an easy thing,” Woodson said.

Lindsay called the loss disappointing and blamed a barrage of outside advertising centered on an unresolved House ethics complaint.

“There wasn’t anything about me as a legislator or any of my policies,” Lindsay said. “The negative ads focused 100% entirely on this ethics committee complaint.”

Earlier this year, a House Ethics Committee found Lindsay likely violated chamber rules by mismanaging Democratic House caucus funds. The committee has not determined whether she committed an ethics violation and found no criminal conduct.

Lindsay said she expects the process to clear her and criticized what she called misinformation spread during the campaign.

The winner currently faces no Republican challenger in November.

House District 41

Jackson survived a wellfunded primary challenge after outside groups spent heavily on both sides.

“I’m really humbled and honored by the trust that the people of HD 41 have placed in me,” Jackson said. She called the results a rejection of “manufactured narratives” and outside influence.

Independent expenditure committees spent more than $170,000 supporting or opposing the candidates through mailers and advertising.

Jackson criticized the role of outside money, saying voters demonstrated that “our communities can’t be bought.”

She said her next legislative priorities include expanding access to health care and behavioral health services, helping seniors with rising costs and increasing education funding.

The race saw significant spending from independent expenditure committees, which are dark money groups that support or oppose candidates, including One-Main-Streetlinked groups and the Colorado Labor Action committee.

According to campaign finance reports, Colorado Labor Action spent roughly $28,400 on mailers supporting Jackson between May 28 and June 10, as well as another almost $27,000 in June on mailers opposing Keke.

Fighting for a Better Aurora, linked to One Main Street, spent roughly $97,400 on advertisements supporting Keke and opposing Jack-

son between May 28 and June 10, according to state TRACER campaign expenditure records. In addition, almost $24,000 was spent on mailers reported after that.

The advertisements drew condemnation from both candidates for including misinformation and one mailer even garnered an allegation that it relied on racist tropes because of an accusation that the photo used had darkened Keke’s skin. The group behind the ad denied the accusation and provided original artwork and notations to the Sentinel, specifically insisting that the photo of Keke not be altered.

Keke said she was disappointed but not surprised with the vote results, citing the influence of outside spending and campaign advertising she described as racially insensitive. She congratulated Jackson and said she will continue serving on the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education.

Jackson currently has no general election opponent.

County commission races

In Arapahoe County, Campbell defeated Cherry Creek School Board member Angela Garland by roughly two-to-one.

“This was never about me,” Campbell said. “It was about making sure government works for people.”

Campbell said she will continue focusing on transportation, economic development, housing and county programs launched during her first term. She also called the roughly $227,000 spent in the primary “unprecedented.”

Summey defeated challenger Maya Wheeler for the District 4 nomination.

“Thank you to all of the folks that knocked doors, that gave up their time, talents and treasures to support my work,” Summey said.

Summey will face Republican Sonda “Sunny” Banka in November.

In Adams County, DeAguero led Quick in the Democratic primary for the open District 4 seat after incumbent Steve O’Dorisio reached his term limit.

Senate District 27

Lammon defeated Darryl Gibbs for the Republican nomination and will challenge Sullivan in November.

“I’m really excited to move on to the general election,” Lammon said.

Lammon said her campaign will focus on affordability, public safety and support for businesses. She also pledged to defend Second Amend-

ment rights, support law enforcement, protect the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and reduce government spending.

Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, has become one of Colorado’s leading advocates for gun-control legislation.

Statewide races

Aurora-area voters closely tracked statewide trends.

Besides Weiser’s victory for governor, Sen. John Hickenlooper defeated state Sen. Julie Gonzales for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold led the Democratic race for attorney general, while Amanda Gonzales led the Democratic contest for secretary of state.

On the Republican side, the gubernatorial race between state Rep. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Victor Marx remained too close to call, with observers anticipating a possible recount.

Outside Aurora, Denver’s House District 1 produced one of the night’s biggest surprises as progressive newcomer Melat Kiros defeated veteran Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in the primary.

AROUND AURORA

Dozens of fires, complaints reported in Aurora despite lastminute July 4 fireworks ban

Despite a last-minute decision by Aurora officials to prohibit all consumer fireworks before the Fourth of July holiday, Aurora Fire Rescue responded to dozens of fires and complaints tied to fireworks over the holiday, including two blazes that spread to homes, according to preliminary figures released July 5.

Between 8 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday, the department responded to 218 incidents, including 26 fire calls. Firefighters handled 10 vegetation fires, eight dumpster or trash fires and five reported fires that crews were unable to locate, Aurora Fire Rescue officials said in a social media post.

Fire officials said all of the fires were caused or probably caused by fireworks, except for one dumpster fire whose cause could not be determined.

Two outside fires spread to the sides of homes late Saturday night. One occurred about 11:15 p.m. in the 900 block of North Lansing Street, and the other about 11:40 p.m. in the 16500 block of East Harvard Avenue.

No injuries were reported in either fire.

During the holiday, an adult man suffered minor injuries from a firework and was taken to a hospital. No fire resulted from that incident, officials said.

The fires came one day after Aurora abruptly reversed course and imposed Stage 2 fire restrictions, banning the sale and use of all consumer fireworks after previously planning to allow limited groundbased fireworks during the holiday.

City officials announced Friday at about noon that worsening wildfire conditions across Colorado, combined with reduced availability of firefighting resources because of deployments to large fires elsewhere in the state and western United States, made the stricter restrictions necessary.

“We really tried to allow people to be able to celebrate the 4th of July responsibly with legal fireworks, but the elevated restrictions are necessary given the totality of circumstances this fire season,” Aurora Fire Chief Alec Oughton said July 3.

While consumer fireworks were prohibited, the city’s professional Fourth of July fireworks display proceeded as planned under enhanced fire-safety measures.

The response totals are preliminary and could be updated by the department, officials said.

— Sentinel Staff

Forensic pathologist Casey Bitting chose to succeed Kelly Lear as Arapahoe coroner

The Arapahoe County commission on Tuesday appointed forensic pathologist Dr. Casey Bitting as the county’s next coroner following the retirement of longtime Coroner Dr. Kelly Lear.

The appointment takes effect July 2. Bitting will serve the remainder of Lear’s term through January 2027. A Democrat, she is also the sole candidate for the office in the November 2026 election.

Bitting has been a forensic pathologist with the Arapahoe office since 2018. Lear retired Tuesday after more than two decades of service to the county, including 12 years as its elected coroner.

Commission Chairperson Leslie Summey said Bitting’s medical credentials and years of experience with the office prepared her to assume the leadership role.

She said Bitting would continue the office’s mission of serving families, supporting the justice system and conducting death investigations.

Bitting completed a forensic pathology fellowship at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland after obtaining her medical degree in Osteopathic Medicine from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She also completed a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

In addition to conducting forensic examinations, Bitting has been active in research, medical education and professional organizations. She serves as an attending physician for medical students, pathology residents and forensic pathology fellows and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. She is a member of the National Association of Medical Examiners, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the College of American Pathologists.

“The Coroner’s Office has an exceptional team dedicated to serving families with professionalism, compassion, and integrity,” Bitting said in a statement. “I look forward to building on Dr. Lear’s legacy while continuing to provide the highest standard of medicolegal death investigation for our amazing community.”

Lear joined the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office as a forensic pathologist in 2004 and was elected coroner in 2014. Summey credited her with strengthening the office, advancing the practice of forensic pathology and helping provide answers to families during difficult circumstances.

— Sentinel Staff

Aurora seeks input on East 13th Avenue mobility upgrades and park renovations

The city is soliciting community comment on potential mobility improvements to East 13th Avenue and renovations at three parks in northwest Aurora.

To kick off the feedback process, an open house is planned for 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 16 at Vaughn Elementary School, 1155 Vaughn St. The event will share proposed improvements alongside free ice cream.

A Spanish language interpreter will be available.

The East 13th Avenue project proposes mobility upgrades including widened sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, a shared use path and improved lighting. The improvements were first identified in the city’s 2023 13th Avenue Multimodal Mobility Study.

The project area spans four blocks of East 12th Avenue from Yosemite Street to the east, then along East 13th Avenue to the High Line Canal Trail just east of Chambers Road.

In addition to East 13th Avenue, the city is planning to invest in the nearby Freedom Park, Havana Park and General’s Park. The city is seeking feedback to help guide the upgrades for each park.

For information or to submit a comment online beginning July 16, visit EngageAurora.org/13th and EngageAurora.org/WardOneParks. — Sentinel Staff

Aurora seeks local poet for Honorary Poet Laureate position

Applications for the City of Aurora’s next Honorary Poet Laureate close July 12 as officials seek a local

poet to serve a four-year term beginning in August.

Managed by the Aurora Public Library, the Honorary Poet Laureate program recognizes literature as an important part of the city’s shared and diverse culture while providing a local poet an opportunity to promote poetry and engage with the community.

The selected poet will serve through August 2030. Candidates must be Aurora residents who are at least 18 years old, have published poetry, participate in an interview with the selection committee and be willing to write and read poems at city events. The poet also must be available to attend city events as

designated. Applicants must submit a letter of interest outlining their professional accomplishments, community outreach activities related to poetry and professional resources, along with up to 10 samples of their work, including a sample event poem.

A selection committee led by the Aurora Public Library Board of Trustees will interview candidates in July before choosing a finalist. The selection will then be presented to the Aurora City Council for final confirmation and swearing in.

The Honorary Poet Laureate

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program was established in 2013 to highlight Aurora’s literary artists and foster community connections through poetry.

Since its creation, the city has appointed three poets: Jovan Mays, who served from 2014 to 2017; Assetou Xango, who served from 2017 to 2020; and Ahja Fox, whose term runs from 2022 to 2026.

City officials said all three have gone on to publish their work and perform at various events after serving as poet laureate.

More about the program and the application process is available at AuroraGov.org/Poet.

— Sentinel Staff

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Aurora Public Schools official gets national shout out for combating childhood

hunger

An Aurora Public Schools official in charge of ensuring students don’t go hungry while schools are out in the summer has been honored nationally for the work he and the district have done to combat hunger among students.

James Lesley, assistant director for support and compliance for Aurora Public Schools’ nutrition department, has been named a 2026 Summer Hunger Hero by No Kid Hungry, an annual recognition honoring people and organizations working to

combat childhood hunger during the summer months.

Lesley was one of 10 honorees from nine states recognized this year for efforts to expand children’s access to summer nutrition programs, including Summer EBT, also known as SUN Bucks, and Summer Meals, No Kid Hungry officials said in a statement.

Aurora Public Schools reported an 83% return rate on forms used to determine children’s eligibility for Summer food benefits, according to No Kid Hungry officials. The group also said the district has bilingual staff members who speak English and Spanish and uses a live language line to assist families who speak other languages.

“Summer is well known as the hungriest season of the year for children, as that is when free and reduced-price school meals disappear for the summer break,” No Kid Hungry officials said in a statement. “This means kids miss out on a consistent source of nutrition, and families’ already tight budgets are stretched even further.”

No Kid Hungry Colorado Program

Manager Anastasia Tsekeris praised Lesley’s work, saying he “exemplifies the work of No Kid Hungry” and “goes above and beyond” to serve children.

Aurora Public Schools Board

President Tramaine Duncan said Lesley’s recognition reflects the district’s commitment to ensuring families receive available food assistance.

“James Lesley being named a No Kid Hungry Summer Hunger Hero is

a true reflection of the work of Aurora Public Schools ensuring that members of our community receive the full complement of food and benefits that they need for the summer,” Duncan said in a statement. “James has done his utmost to remove barriers to make sure that no child falls through the cracks, that no child is left out, that no child is left wanting.”

Aurora Public Schools offers free summer meals for children throughout the district.

Individual breakfasts and lunches are available to anyone 18 and younger through Aug. 3. Meals must be eaten on site, according to APS details.

Several locations offer meals during staggered serving times, including Yale, Jewell, Iowa, Laredo and Montview elementary schools; Aurora Hills Middle School; Rocky Ridge Park; Hillcrest Village; Elkhart; and Friendly Village.

Additional sites serving meals daily from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. include Aurora West, Vista PEAK Prep, Del Mar Pool, Charles Burrell, Central Recreation Center, Utah Pool, Aurora Hills, Hoops Park, Meadow Hills Pool, Hinkley, Mission Viejo Park, Village Green Pool and Mrachek.

Free breakfast and lunch at Mosley has been extended through July 24, Dalton through July 10 and Virginia Court through July 17, according to the district’s website.

In addition, the district is offering free Summer Big Bag Meal Kits from through Aug. 3 for children 18 and younger. Each child may receive one seven-day meal kit, which includes

seven breakfasts and seven lunches.

Meal kits are available at Aurora Highlands P-8, 24405 E. 42nd Ave., from 10 a.m to 11:30 a.m. Mondays; Harmony Ridge P-8, 52 S. Robertsdale St., from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays; and Murphy Creek P-8, 1400 S. Old Tom Morris Road, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Fridays.

— Sentinel Staff

COPS AND COURTS

Boy, 17, dies after crash of stolen car following police chase in Aurora

A 17-year-old boy has died a week after police say he crashed a suspected stolen vehicle into another car after running a red light following a police pursuit in west Aurora.

Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement that officers spotted what they believed to be a stolen Volkswagen Jetta near East Mississippi Avenue and East Alameda Parkway at about 4 a.m. June 28 and attempted a traffic stop.

“A brief pursuit – lasting approximately one minute – was authorized and quickly called off due excessive speed and the suspect’s driving behavior,” Moylan said. “Approximately 10 minutes later, the same suspect vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, was involved in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of South Havana Street and East Alameda Avenue.”

The Jetta caught fire after the crash, and the same officers who had attempted the earlier traffic stop extinguished the flames, police said.

Investigators said the Jetta was westbound on Alameda Parkway at “a high rate of speed” when the driver ran a red light at South Havana Street and struck a Subaru WRX in the intersection.

The 17-year-old driver and his 23-year-old passenger were taken to nearby hospitals with life-threatening injuries. Police said the driver died Monday from his injuries. His identity will be released by the coroner’s office.

The passenger remained hospitalized, police said.

The driver of the Subaru, a 28-year-old Aurora man, was taken to a hospital, treated and released, police said.

— Sentinel Staff

Aurora man dies after collision with car while driving minibike last week

An Aurora man died July 6 from injuries he sustained when the minibike he was driving collided with a car in east Aurora last week, police said.

Aurora police responded to a crash involving a Subaru SUV and a minibike at 6:45 p.m. June 29 at East Colfax Avenue and Powhaton Road. An investigation determined the driver of the minibike, which was on westbound Colfax, veered into the eastbound lane and hit the Subaru head-on.

The minibike rider, a 23-year-old

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man from Aurora, was not wearing a helmet and was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The man died from his injuries on Monday.

The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office has not yet released the man’s identity.

Aurora police said the driver of the Subaru remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

Police said the mini-bike was not legal to drive on Aurora streets.

“They are classified in … as “toy bikes” or off-highway vehicles,” Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan said in a statement.

He said the Colorado Department of Transportation does provide ways for a such small motorbikes to become “street legal” by adding specific safety features such as as headlights, taillights, brake lights, mirrors, a horn and approved tires.

The mini-bike ridden in last week’s crash did not have the installed safety devices to qualify as legal, Moylan said.

— Sentinel Staff

Body of missing Arapahoe County senior found in Denver Creek, ending weeks-long search

The body of a 63-year-old Arapahoe County man who had been missing since June 12 has been found in a Denver creek, bringing an end to a weekslong search, sheriff officials said.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday that the Denver coroner’s office identified the body found near Denver’s Central Park neighborhood as Kevin Bailey, who was reported missing after he disappeared from the Woodland Estates Senior Living Center east of Aurora.

Bailey was last seen about 2 p.m. June 12 at the facility’s front desk.

Investigators previously said he told an employee he planned to ride a bus and visit friends, while family members reported he also said he was looking for work.

On June 25, the sheriff’s office expanded its search after developing investigative leads that placed Bailey in Denver’s Central Park area, where he was last known to be.

Members of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol and two search-and-rescue dogs conducted a coordinated search and located evidence that prompted them to continue the search the following day.

On June 26, members of the Denver Fire Water Rescue Team and Arapahoe County sheriff’s investigators recovered a body from a creek in the area, sheriff officials said. The Denver Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identity as Bailey on July 1.

Investigators did not release a possible cause of death, and no additional details about the investigation were immediately released.

Bailey’s disappearance prompted concern because authorities said he required daily prescription medications and had been without them since before he went missing. Investigators said his cellphone was no longer active and that he did not have access to money or a debit card.

— Sentinel Staff

BEYOND AURORA

New Colorado laws take effect: Gun control, LGBTQ+ protection and insurance changes

Starting July 1, several new Colorado laws take effect from legislation passed during the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions.

These include two high-profile gun laws and protections for the LGBTQ community that push back against a recent Supreme Court decision.

One law that passed in 2025 adds some friction to the process of buying ammunition. It creates a new minimum age of 21 to buy ammunition at retail stores and through mail order. The law also requires stores to keep ammunition behind a counter or on a locked shelf, so it can’t be accessed without help from a salesperson.

Backers said they wanted to make it harder for young people to use guns to commit violent crimes or take their own lives. But opponents argued against raising the age limit, saying it was unconstitutional, and said changing the way stores sell ammunition was just a meaningless roadblock that wouldn’t cut down on crime or suicides.

The law carves out an exception for firing ranges, which are allowed to continue selling ammunition to people as young as 18.

Another law, which passed this year, bans 3D-printed guns and gun components. The measure expands existing state prohibitions of untraceable firearms, sometimes called “ghost guns,” by explicitly making it a crime for anyone other than a federally licensed gun manufacturer to use 3D printers and similar computer-aided manufacturing machines to make guns or gun parts and accessories.

Backers said the legislation was important for public safety while opponents called it heavy-handed overreach that will interfere with gun owners’ constitutional rights.

A third new law takes aim at conversion therapy – a discredited method of trying to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The measure gives victims the power to sue conversion therapy practitioners for lasting psychological harm, with no statute of limitations.

The law, passed earlier this year, is the State Legislature’s response to a recent Supreme Court decision overturning Colorado’s statewide ban on conversion therapy for minors, which was passed in 2019. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against the ban on the grounds that it impinged on free speech.

Measures in a fourth law could bring some financial relief to homeowners facing rising insurance costs. Starting now, insurance companies need to develop a ‘wildfire risk score’ for the properties they cover and make owners aware of how it factors into what they’re paying for their premium, or why the company refuses to insure them.

Insurers are now also required to incorporate fire mitigation efforts in their premium-setting models, so efforts like brush removal or using fire-resistant materials get factored into home insurance costs.

Backers hope this will push insurers to reward mitigation efforts with lower premiums, which will, in turn, encourage homeowners and communities to do more mitigation work.

The following is a partial list of other notable new laws now taking effect:

SB26-040 — Affordable Home Ownership Program: This law gives state housing officials more flexibility to use existing affordable housing funds to support lower-income firsttime home buyers and affordable housing developments.

HB 26-1328 — Medicaid Nonemergency Medical Transportation: This law creates new oversight for nonemergency medical transportation under Medicaid. It is a response to widespread Medicaid fraud and state overpayments that were recently uncovered in an audit of the nonemergency transportation industry.

HB26-1250 — Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture: This law reforms parts of civil asset forfeiture law, which currently allows law enforcement to confiscate property without a criminal conviction. The measure ensures a right to legal counsel in civil asset forfeiture cases and creates a fund to pay for attorneys’ fees.

SB25-168 — Prevention of Wildlife Trafficking: This law bans the sale of wild animals in Colorado, with increased penalties for trafficking endangered or threatened species. It also expands the list of species considered endangered or threatened and requires state wildlife officials to investigate wildlife trafficking.

— Rae Solomon, KUNC News

with a story about being forced as a 7-year-old to hold a gun against a man’s head and pull the trigger. The moment was the climax of what he said was years of abuse by a step-dad in Louisiana.

“And I feel his hand come over and grab my wrist, and then his right hand comes around and he slips his finger over mine, and he presses until the revolver goes off,” Marx told a PBS Hawaii TV host in 2015. Then his step-dad extorted him over his abuse of him, Marx said.

“If you ever tell anyone what I’ve done to you, it doesn’t matter how old you get, he said, I’ll tell the police that you killed this man, and I have the pistol with your fingerprint on it. And he said, they’ll electrocute you. And I knew what electrocution was, ‘cause he’d done it a few times. And so, it sealed and instilled in me a fear where I never talked about that ‘til I was an adult.

No evidence of the killing has ever been produced.

His more current interviews are a mishmash of conflicts and deflection, now infamously telling 9News Kyle Clark that he’s certain that he killed only one person as a child, but he doesn’t know how many people he killed as an adult after he got out of a two-three-year stint with the Marines.

He says he is now a “high-risk” missionary that risks his life to save victims of war and trafficking, raising and spending millions to provide about 67,000 stuffed animals to kids in war-torn countries. But real journalists who’ve dived into the facts make it clear the only traffic issue Marx has dealt with is the jam inside his head where reality and delusion crash into each other in real time.

The Denver Post Editorial Board diplomatically called Marx a “huckster.”

Not only does he traffic in weird exaggerations about his life, he dabbles in exorcisms, too, he told Clark.

For real, folks.

He said he asks possessed people to let him talk to their demons and then tells them to get out of their victims, which they do and “ban them to perfect judgment from Christ.”

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

“We send (the demons) to the footstool of Jesus Christ,” he said, adding to Clark that performing the exorcisms on the phone is just as effective as in person.

So, I don’t get it. This guy looks like he’s seriously going to be the 2026 GOP nominee for Colorado governor.

As of Thursday, 206,330 people across the state voted for him. Really. As many as 14,229 in and near Aurora checked his name on their primary ballots.

Why?

Why would Republicans want to make it so easy for Democratic nominee Attorney General Phil Weiser to become the next governor of Colorado?

All Weiser has to do to win in a landslide is to make clear he’s not material for 72-hour hold, doesn’t eat roasted kittens or isn’t planning to ask a Ouija board how to handle tricky budget questions as they spin out of the Legislature.

If the newest generation of Republicans want to support statewide Democratic candidates, just join and support that political party. It would be far less entertaining, but I think we’d all be OK with that.

Follow@EditorDavePerryonBlueSky,Threads,Mastodon,Twitterand Facebookorreachhimat303-750-7555ordperry@SentinelColorado.com

Dealing with data centers Aurora considers targeted regulations for data centers amid moratoriums

BY MCKENNA HARFORD, Sentinel Staff Writer

As surrounding municipalities are implementing moratoriums on data centers, Aurora city lawmakers are exploring potential regulations for the facilities.

Councilmember Amy Wiles, Aurora city staff and representatives from Xcel Energy and QTS Data Centers held a town hall meeting to share information about local data centers and answer questions about the facilities’ impacts and existing restrictions.

Wiles said she considered proposing a moratorium, but she now thinks more targeted regulations would better address concerns about the location and impacts of data centers. Wiles said she may bring forward regulations further limiting where data centers can be built and getting rid of landscaping requirements, which are water intensive.

“I personally think we need a neighborhood buffer to make sure they’re not being built right next to neighborhoods,” Wiles said. “I think we have some good steps right now that we can advance as regulations.”

Wiles said she is looking to other cities, like Aurora, Illinois, for best practices.

Currently, this city has nine data centers, with the oldest established in the 1990s, and five more data centers are in various stages of the city’s development process, according to City Manager Jason Batchelor. In addition to supporting artificial intelligence, data centers support a multitude of internet services, including social media, cloud storage and financial transaction processes.

Data centers can range in size and resource consumption, with the largest and most consumptive being hyperscale facilities. Aurora does not have any hyperscale facilities and they would likely be prohibited under the city’s large water user guide, which governs all large developments.

QTS Data Centers has the city’s largest data center, 1160 Gun Club Road, which has an energy capacity of 160 megawatts, so it can demand up to that much power consistently.

The town hall meeting touched on many questions around water and energy use, where data centers are located and how the city regulates the facilities. Here’s a summary of some of the information shared.

Where are data centers allowed to develop?

Data centers are permitted in Aurora areas that are zoned industrial, airport districts or mixed-use office-industrial. Data centers can be built in certain mixed-use zoning restrictions under the conditional use process, which has additional requirements for public hearings and city council gets the ultimate decision.

Data centers are prohibited in other types of zoning, including residential.

How much water do data centers use?

It depends, but in Aurora, not a lot, according to city officials. The average local data center use is around 500,000 gallons per month, according to Aurora Water. In comparison, the average golf course uses 1 million gallons per day and the average residential indoor monthly use per person is about 1,500 gallons.

Marshall Brown, the director of Aurora Water, said a majority of the water used by data centers is used for outdoor irrigation. The combined use of all of the city’s data centers is 0.3% of the annual water demand. Outdoor landscape irrigation accounts for roughly 40% annual demand, making it the largest category of water use.

Other than outdoor irrigation, data centers use water in cooling systems, as well as typical indoor uses like bathrooms. Michael Grassmick, a vice president at QTS, said their cooling system is known as a closed-loop system and uses less water than other varieties because the water

is reused indefinitely. The two QTS Aurora centers combined use 300,000 gallons in the cooling system.

More water-dependent systems are evaporative cooling and hybrid systems. Grassmick said water and power usage is a trade-off, so the less water a data center needs, the more energy it uses.

How much energy do data centers use? Do they use clean energy?

Data centers in Aurora, and Colorado at large, are connected to the Xcel Energy grid, which draws on a mix of coal, natural gas, wind and solar power. Xcel’s website says approximately 47% of its energy comes from renewable sources.

In a statement to the Sentinel, Xcel said it cannot calculate an average energy use for data centers because “energy use can vary significantly depending on the size of the facility and its operational requirements.”

QTS said it’s planning to draw up to 200 megawatts during operation for its Colorado data centers over the next five years. Xcel representative Hollie Velasquez Horvath said the state’s largest energy demand comes from the EVRAZ Steel Mill in Pueblo, which can draw 240 megawatts.

Do data centers impact individual household energy or water bills?

No. Xcel and Aurora Water officials said data centers do not contribute to individual household rates. Ratepayers are only charged for their personal use.

In a statement to the Sentinel, an Xcel representative said recent proposed rate increases stem from increasing costs for infrastructure maintenance, the costs of transitioning to renewable energy, fortifying the grid against extreme weather and rising demand for electricity, even excluding data centers.

Horvath said data centers pay for their own distribution systems, as well as any transmission infrastructure needed to support the data center. Once the transmission infrastructure is built, it’s owned and operated by Xcel, though the data centers continue to be responsible for the maintenance costs.

How do data centers manage pollution and what regulations exist for pollution?

Many data centers have diesel generators on site to power the facility in case of outages or restrictions. Grassmick said any time a generator is used, it must be reported to the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission and tracked. He added that QTS is limited on how often it can use its generators and for how long.

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission enforces state regulations for air pollution.

For noise pollution, the city’s unified development code restricts the noise level at data centers to the same level as other businesses, with different allowances based on zoning and time. City Manager Jason Batchelor said the city will evaluate noise levels if a complaint is made.

How do data centers benefit the city and what incentives has the city given to data centers?

Data centers benefit the city mainly through contributing property taxes, which also benefit public schools. According to property records, the QTS Aurora site paid $4.55 million in property taxes this year.

In the past, the city has offered data centers sales and use tax incentives, Batchelor said. For QTS, the city approved a sales and use tax rebate between 40-60%, with a cap of approximately $19 million, according to 9News.

Data centers also provide some jobs, with the peak employment coming during construction.

Right: Former Grandview High School star Sasha Kennedy (10) readies at shortstop as a WA Ladyhawks batter puts the ball in play in an 18U Supplemental Power Pool game July 2 at Riverwalk Park. Kennedy’s Colorado Angels Quimby team earned a 6-1 win.

Middle: Cherokee Trail senior-to-be pitcher Emma Rice makes a delivery for the Colorado Angels Waller team in an 18U Supplemental Power Pool game July 2 at Bright Sports Complex.

Below: From left, Eaglecrest senior-to-be Ryleight Stufft, Grandview graduate Sasha Kennedy and Eaglecrest senior-to-be Leila Kelliher return to the dugout after playing defense in the Colorado Angels Quimby win July 2 at Riverwalk Park.

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY

OAKES/AURORA SENTINEL

The summer of softball is entering its middle innings, as travel teams of all types spread out across the country for high level play and exposure.

One of the biggest stops is in Colorado, where the Colorado Fireworks/Sprinkler tournaments — which see hundreds of games played in the Aurora area as well as other stops along the Front Range — draw hundreds of college coaches to see rosters packed with committed or unsigned talent.

Included in the thousands of players split between 16U and 18U classifications for the Fireworks tournament, which is put on annually by Triple Crown Sports, is a healthy contingent of players from Aurora area schools.

SOFTBALL

Rice logged significant innings and picked up her 1,500th career strikeout along the way.

The Waller team finished 3-2-1 in pool play and then opened bracket play with an in-state matchup against Littleton-based Colorado Bombers 18U, which also had its share of Aurora area players. Graduates from three local programs (Abby Anderson and Kate Kenney of Cherokee Trail, Kiley Snyder of Smoky Hill and Sybella Trevino of Eaglecrest) were part of a Bombers team that went 2-4 in pool play.

Fastpitch fireworks

BY COURTNEY OAKES Sports Editor

While bracket play ended quickly for most Colorado teams, the Colorado Angels Waller team made itself known as it finished a competitive week in the Fireworks 18U Supplemental Power Pool with a second round loss July 4.

Headed by John Waller — head coach for Vista PEAK Prep in Aurora — the Angels Waller team had plenty of local representation on the roster mixed with other top talent from nearby.

Two of the regulars from Waller’s Bison team last fall were on the roster in utility player Amara Herrera, who is headed to play at North Platte Community College, plus senior-to-be Rylie Camarillo. A trio of Cherokee Trail players — seniors-to-be Emma Rice on the mound and Rylee Holsten at first base and junior-to-be Kayla Kee in center field — also were regulars, while Regis Jesuit junior-to-be Elsa Pedersen also made the roster.

The Angels Waller team prevailed 9-5 to advance to a matchup with I-5 Softball Snyder/Acevedo, which had finished second in its pool. In the first of what would be three straight one-run victories in bracket play, I-5 edged Angels Waller 9-8 in extra innings despite a huge three-run home run from Holston late. The I-5 team would go on to win its next three games and took the pool championship with a 17-1 rout of WA Ladyhawks 18u Seeley.

In the same Supplemental Power Pool was the Colorado Angels Quimby team that at times resembled an Aurora area all-star team. In a pool play game against the Washington Lady Redhawks (a 6-1 victory in a game played at the Riverwalk Park), the infield included Eaglecrest senior-to-be Ryleigh Stufft at third base, Grandview graduate and Grand Canyon University-bound Sasha Kennedy at shortstop, Eaglecrest senior-to-be Leila Kelliher at second base and Grandview grad Madison Jaramillo at first base, while Grandview senior-to-be Monroe Donaldson was behind the plate and Cherokee Trail grad Izzy Becker (who earlier helped the Canada team to a runner-up finish at the International Challenge) patrolled center field. Also on the roster is Grandview grad Maddie Donaldson, while a variety of area coaches guided the team.

BOYS SWIMMING

Four Grandview swimmers earn NISCA Academic AllAmerican recognition

In the wake of another memorable season in the water during the spring, the Grandview boys swim team excelled out of the pool as well.

Annually, the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) honors top student-athletes from across the country as Academic All-Americans, which are defined as graduating seniors and lettered that season with a high school program (in swimming, diving or water polo), while they also must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.750 on a 4 point scale or 93.7500% of the grade scale their school uses for 7 semesters/11 trimesters.

On the list issued recently by the organization, four members of a Grandview team that finished eighth at the Class 5A boys state swim team in May were Christian Burgeson, Jesse Jaramillo, Mason Shutter and Connor Stevens. The number of honorees matched the 2025 haul for the Wolves in their last season under outgoing head coach Dan Berve.

Burgeson contributed significantly to Grandview’s point total with four top-20 finishes, which included a 16th place result in the 100 yard freestyle. He teamed with fellow Academic All-American Shutter plus Greyson Connett and Caleb Nelson on Grandview’s thirdplace 200 yard medley relay team, while he and Jaramillo teamed with Nikolaos Rentzios and Greyson Connett to place 11th in the 400 freestyle relay. Burgeson and Shutter also joined Rentzios and Nelson on the 13th-place 200 yard freestyle relay.

›› SOFTBALL, from 9

The Angels Quimby team started pool play 1-4, but won its last two games to earn a spot in bracket play, where it came up against Firecrackers Chavez Moreno, which went 2-22 in pool play. The Angels Quimby team dropped a 9-1 decision, however, which brought its tournament to a close just short of the final day. In the 18U National Power Pool, Batbusters Smith 18U — which featured Cherokee Trail senior-tobe-Sydney Cobb and Regis Jesuit junior-to-be Caitlin Fairchild — ended up a potent pool. Batbusters Smith had trouble keeping down opposing offenses (which managed double figures in three of six pool play games), while it earned a lone win with an 11-1 defeat of Louisville Lady Sluggers Huecker M/B. A 6-5 loss to Impact Caymol July 4 kept it from advancing to the final day.

The 16U Fireworks Power Pool featured another Batbusters squad in Batbusters Smith-Joiner, which included two Cherokee Trail juniors-to-be Leera Davis and Taylen Shaver. That squad went 1-5 in pool play and fell to Hustle National 28/29 — Zapien/Ramon 8-3 in the first game of bracket play.

Grandview had the second-most boys among the 14 Colorado boys to earn Academic All-American honors behind only D’Evelyn, which had six swimmers make the academic cut. Arapahoe, Fossil Ridge, Rock Canyon and Windsor also had honorees (find full list sentinelcolorado.com/preps).

NISCA will also honor Scholar Teams as well as All-American performers in boys and girls swimming in soon-to-be-released lists.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Smoky Hill, Grandview swimmers named Academic All-Americans

Two of the Aurora area’s most well-rounded girls swim teams —

Smoky Hill and Grandview — were again recognized for success outside of the pool as both had honorees on a list from across the country recently honored with the distinction of Academic All-Americans.

Annually, the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) honors top student-athletes from across the country as Academic All-Americans, which are defined as graduating seniors and lettered that season with a high school program (in swimming, diving or water polo), while they also must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.750 on a 4 point scale or 93.7500% of the grade scale their school uses for 7 semesters/11 trimesters.

The whole Fireworks tournament came to a conclusion on July 5 at Aurora Sports Park.

The 18U National Power Pool title went to Oklahoma Athletics National - Madden/Brown 26/27 in dramatic fashion with a 7-5 win in eight innings over Tennessee Mojo Ramsey.

Kaiser) as well as on the 11th place 200 yard freestyle relay (with Kaiser and Morgan Goodrich as well).

Grandview’s Academic All-American nod went to Mikaela Heckel. Heckel swam a variety of strokes for the Wolves, but did not qualify for the 5A state meet.

The five Aurora honorees were part of a contingent of 19 Colorado Academic All-Americans, with the majority coming from Fossil Ridge, which had six of those selections. Visit sentinelcolorado. com/preps for the complete list of Colorado honorees.

NISCA will also honor Scholar Teams as well as All-American performers in boys and girls swimming in soonto-be-released lists.

GOLF

Cherokee Trail grad Brayden

Forte makes

U.S.

Junior National

Brayden Forte, who helped lead the Cherokee Trail boys golf team to the Class 5A state championship last fall, earned himself a chance to play in one of the summer’s top tournaments.

Coach Scott Cohen’s Buffaloes continued their tradition of classroom success coupled with prowess in the water with a total of four honorees — same as in 2025 — as Kaiya Ricketson, Greta Smolenski, Mia Waleski and Cameron Walkup were honored. Three of the four helped Smoky Hill to a 12th place finish at the 5A state meet.

The Academic All-American honor further strengthens the accomplished prep resume of Walkup, a University of Wyoming signee who is coming off placing in two individual and two relay events. She placed fifth in the 200 yard freestyle and 12th in the 500 free and combined with Smolenski on both the 13th-place 400 yard freestyle relay (along with Mya Noffsinger and Caroline

Forte traveled to Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot July 1 for a qualifying tournament for the U.S. Junior National — which features amateur players 19 years and younger — and came away with medalist honors with a 6-under par that tied the course record.

With five birdies on the front nine and another on the back nine, Forte finished with a 64 that put him atop a field of 85 hopefuls that included several recently graduated Aurora area standouts as well some set to play in the upcoming 2026 season.

Forte finished one stroke in front of Elijah Johnson (whose Denver East team Cherokee Trail defeated in a team playoff to win the state title) and Brayden Destefano. All three advance to the U.S. Junior National, which is scheduled to be played July 20-25 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

On a deep smash by London Hoffmaster, Athletics’ center fielder Nadia Jeffries leaped over the fence and made a home run-saving catch to end the game. The win on the mound went to Keegan Baker, the 18th-rated prospect in the country who is committed to Oklahoma. No. 9 Lyla Morici was in the circle for Mojo. The aforementioned I-5 Softball Snyder/Acevedo won the 18U Supplemental Power Pool, while the 16U Supplemental Power Pool crown went to ROI Midwest-Kessler with an 8-6 over Wisconsin Lightning 15U Eichholz.

The Magazine

Aurora offers the world in just a strip mall

WHETHER IT’S SALSA WITH A SURPRISE OR CARIBBEAN FLAVORS, YOU CAN GET IT AT THESE SIDE-BY-SIDE AURORA STOPS

BY ELAINE TASSY, CPR NEWS

Moctezuma Luna uses a high-protein ingredient that gives a pop of texture and crunch to make his tacos distinctly Aztec at Metro Balderas Aztek Food in Aurora, a tiny restaurant favoring take-out over dining in.

“It’s not exactly the crickets, it’s a different name,” said Luna, who runs the 3-yearold restaurant with his wife, Veronica Diaz. “We call it chapulinas.”

Next door, in a barely noticeable row of small retail shops off I-225 at Iliff Ave. in Aurora, is an equally easy-to-miss shop called Kingston International Market. Co-owner Love Awoniyi said many customers come in looking for seasonings and spice mixes they tried when visiting African or Caribbean countries.

“They want to continue what they eat there, so they will buy all of the ingredients to put things together in their home,”

she said.

Together, these two side-by-side places – both oriented around grab n’ go rather than dining in – provide under-the-radar taste explosions behind glass doors, proving that a sit-down meal is not the only way to eat outside the box in Aurora, home to hundreds of restaurants with cuisines from all over the world.

Metro Balderas Aztek Food

Metro Balderas Aztek Food is mainly booth seating. The seven red, green and yellow plastic tables don’t exactly scream charm or romance. Customers mainly drop in or phone in orders, walking away with low-cost tacos, huaraches and machetes prepared with a nod to Aztec culture and, more specifically, a train station the restaurant’s name was inspired by.

Moctezuma Luna, 51, runs the restaurant with his wife, Veronica Diaz, who heats up a lot of the marinated meat (stuffed inside appetizer and entree options as orders come in.) The theme of this Mexican spot dials in on Luna’s mother’s heritage: now in her 90’s, she self-defines as Aztec, a descendant of the Aztec Empire described as follows on the website Indigenous Mexico:

“This extensive Mesoamerican Empire

was in its ascendancy during the late Fifteenth and early Sixteenth Centuries. The Aztec Empire of 1519 was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. This multi-ethnic, multi-lingual realm stretched for more than 80,000 square miles through many parts of what are now central and southern Mexico.

“The Aztec Empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf coast and from central Mexico to the present-day Republic of Guatemala. Fifteen million people, living in thirty-eight provinces and residing in 489 communities, paid tribute to the Emperor Moctezuma II.”

Named after said emperor, Moctezuma Luna, 51, got started working with his mother when he was a child. She had her own mobile food business, preparing traditional, transportable foods from La Puebla to a station in Mexico City where they set up shop.

“I think for two years, not a restaurant, but a little place in the street in Mexico, and she sell them quesadillas ... We always take that train to go to the mercado,” he said. The stop they’d get off at was called Metro Balderas Station, which is how the restaurant got its name.

Luna’s mother was from La Puebla in Southern Mexico and spoke an Aztec lan-

guage called Nahuatl (na-wha-tul). Luna knows some words, and is fluent in Spanish.

“We do it every Wednesday to the Metro Balderas station ... And that’s what I love. I was a little kid, but I talk with the customers and I make the transactions and everything. Because my mom ... she speak only her language.”

Serving as the Spanish-speaking bridge between Mexico City customers and his mom, he became interested in the restaurant business.

“I remember one time when my mother take me to this job ... and I saw a big restaurant and I saw one guy playing piano and singing and I love that,” he said. “And I wish to one day have my big restaurant and have one guy playing piano.”

He said such growth is well within the realm of possibility, having started as a food truck six years ago and then graduating to a small restaurant three years later. He hopes one day to graduate to a larger space and hire a guy to play Mexican bolero music while people eat his dishes. “That’s correct, yeah, that’s my dream.”

“Broadside The Musical” at the Vintage Theatre

A messy breakup story set to music: Britain and America, once in harmony, fall out of sync in a war of words before the first musket is fired. In pre-Revolutionary Boston, broadsides were everywhere: they were sharp and fast, working like the first social memes, they could shape public opinion overnight. At the center is Paul Revere, an artisan whose etchings become weapons in a growing infor-

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mation war. Caught between worlds is Margaret Gage, navigating loyalty as tensions rise and neighbors turn into rivals. Broadside reveals how songs, satire, and rumor didn’t just reflect the conflict, they fueled it.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Friday and Saturday curtains at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday curtain at 2:30 p.m. through July 19

Place: Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.

Tickets: $25

Information: vintagetheatre.org or 303-856-7830

‘The Book Club Play’ at Vintage Theatre

Karen Zacarías’ fast-paced comedy celebrates books, friendship and the delightful chaos that erupts when a long-running book club becomes the subject of a documentary film. As cameras capture every discussion, disagreement and personal revelation, the arrival of a provocative new member throws the group’s carefully balanced dynamics into disarray. Directed by Brendan T. Cochran, the production blends literary humor with sharp observations about relationships, reading habits and the some-

times-surprising connections people form through books. Vintage offers a special Juneteenth performance with discounted admission.

IF YOU GO:

Date: June 12–July 19

Place: Vintage Theatre Productions, Bond-Trimble Theatre, 1468 Dayton St.

Tickets: Vary by performance; special Juneteenth performance tickets advertised at $19

Information: www.vintagetheatre.org or 303-856-7830

“Live Music at The Local Drive’ at Stanley Marketplace

This ongoing live music series transforms the Stanley Marketplace hangar into a vibrant performance space featuring local and regional musicians. The programming spans genres—from indie and folk to jazz and rock—creating an eclectic soundtrack for Aurora’s creative community.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Fridays and Saturdays after 5 p.m.

Place: Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St.

Tickets: Free admission

Information: stanleymarketplace.com or 720-941-7070

thrived millions of years ago. The exhibition also explores the evolutionary advantages and challenges of extreme size, offering a deeper look at how the scale of these animals shaped their behavior and ecosystems.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Through Sept. 7

Place: Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.

Tickets: $6-$9

Information: dmns.org or call 303-370-6000

“Still in Sound’ at the Clyfford Still Museum

This exhibition and sound-based experience invites visitors to encounter the abstract paintings of Clyfford Still through an immersive audio dimension, encouraging deeper reflection on color, scale and emotion within the museum’s galleries.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Through Feb. 14, 2027

Place: Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St.

Tickets: Free-$18

Information: clyffordstillmuseum.org or 720-354-4880

“Charles Sandison: Chamber’ at the Denver Art Museum

IF YOU GO:

Date: July 17, 10:30 a.m.–11:15 a.m.

Place: Coal Creek Schoolhouse, 15500 E. First Ave.

Tickets: Free.

Information: aurorahistorymuseum.org or 303-739-6660

Michael Jackson Skate: Back For More! at Skate City Aurora

Celebrate the music of the King of Pop during an afternoon of roller skating featuring Michael Jackson’s biggest hits. Following the popularity of last year’s event, Skate City brings back its themed skate session complete with music, dancing and an MJ Look-Alike Contest. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite Michael Jackson era for a chance to win prizes while enjoying an afternoon on the rink with fellow fans.

IF YOU GO:

Date: FJuly 17, 4 p.m.–8 p.m.

Place: Skate City Aurora, 15100 E. Girard Ave.

Tickets: Regular skating admission; skate rental available. Information: skatecitycolorado.com or 303-693-3201

Museum of Outdoor Arts Guided Tour at Marjorie Park

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“World’s Largest Dinosaurs’ at Denver Museum of Nature and Science

This traveling exhibition explores how the largest land animals in Earth’s history lived and functioned. Rather than focusing solely on fossil bones, the exhibit examines the biology of giant sauropods, which are dinosaurs whose massive bodies required unique adaptations for breathing, circulation and movement. Through interactive displays, models and scientific research, visitors can learn how scientists study both fossils and modern animals to understand how these enormous creatures survived and

Commissioned by the museum, this immersive digital installation surrounds visitors with shifting projections and abstract visual environments that blur the boundaries between technology, language and art.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Through Aug. 10

Place: Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway

Tickets: Included with museum admission

Information: www.denverartmuseum.org or 720-865-5000

“Romeo and Juliet: Werewolves Versus Vampires” Youth Performance Camp

Explore one of the Denver area’s premier outdoor sculpture collections during a guided walking tour of Marjorie Park. Led by Museum of Outdoor Arts staff, the tour features highlights from the park’s permanent collection as well as the museum’s whimsical Cabinet of Curiosities and Impossibilities. Guests will learn about the artists, the history of the collection and the museum’s mission to integrate art into everyday life.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Place: Marjorie Park, Museum of Outdoor Arts, 6331 S. Fiddlers Green Circle

The Aurora Fox Arts Center presents a creative Shakespeare adaptation for young performers. Students spend the week learning staging, characterization and performance techniques before presenting a final production.

IF YOU GO:

Date: July 6–July 10, 2026

Place: Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave.

Tickets: Registration required

Information: www.aurorafoxartscenter.org or 303-739-1970

Tickets: Advance registration required. $5-$20

Information: moaonline.org or 303-806-0444

”A Little Night Music” at Immersive Cabaret at the People’s Building

Coal Creek School Days: Ukulele Sing-Along

Bring the family to Aurora’s historic Coal Creek Schoolhouse for a morning of music and hands-on history. This free summer program features a lively ukulele sing-along led by Aurora Cultural Arts and musician Leroy Leonard. The drop-in event is designed for children and families and offers a chance to experience one of Aurora’s oldest surviving schoolhouses while enjoying interactive musical entertainment. No registration is required. Visitors should note that restroom facilities are not available at the site.

The Immortal Cabaret & Co. presents an evening of music, burlesque, drag and theatrical performance celebrating friendship, community and the joy of live entertainment. Each week’s performances feature a different lineup of artists, including Saline666, Kreole Brat, Mysti, Malaysia Tha Doll, Babbette de LeonCœur and additional special guests. The 90-minute production blends music, comedy and cabaret into an immersive nightlife experience for adult audiences.

IF YOU GO:

Date: July 14-July 15 and July 21-22, 2026; performances at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Place: The People’s Building 9995 E Colfax Ave, Tickets: $20 presale; $25 general admission; $30 at the door.

Information: thepeoplesbuilding.com or 720-515-3036

Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks

BY ALBERT STUMM, Associated Press

Green means go, red means stop. Trophies or confetti come with good performance, and people who fall behind get nudged to do better.

Those brightly colored engagement tactics long ago jumped from smartphone games to everything from online shopping to sports betting and classrooms. So it should come as no surprise that many nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom also use gaming features to keep users coming back.

But as nutrition apps proliferate, some researchers are raising alarms that gamification features may do more harm than good for some people.

Isabella Anderberg, a psychologist researching digital dieting behavior at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, said calorie tracking can reinforce behaviors associated with body dysmorphia and disordered eating.

“We do know that not everyone’s going to experience harm from using the apps, but there are certainly factors that might increase risk,” Anderberg said. “Ap-

proach with caution.”

The case for nutrition tracking apps

Anderberg said there is certainly a place for the apps. Health professionals she interviewed during her research reported that apps can be especially helpful as meal-planning tools for people managing chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. And physical activity apps remind people to move their bodies.

Many users report enjoying them, finding tactics like streak notifications to be motivating.

Angela Drury, an English professor in Woodstock, Georgia, began using MyFitnessPal more than 10 years ago to track protein, fat, carbohydrate and calorie intake when she started CrossFit. She has since cycled through several other apps, including Weight Watchers, Lose It and now Nourish, which is paid for by her insurance and includes blood work and weekly meetings with a dietitian.

Drury said the apps have helped her stay on track with fitness goals and have sometimes steered her away from high-calorie foods when she uploaded pho-

tos of meals she was considering eating. She feels a little boost when she gets a badge for continuing a streak for logging meals, but a notification that says she hasn’t entered lunch has the opposite effect.

“Then it felt like it was scolding me,” she said.

Be wary of what the app tells you

The way most apps work, users enter height, weight, age and other information and then set a goal. The app says how many calories or macronutrients are needed to reach that goal, using gamelike elements such as badges, streaks, rewards, points and notifications to encourage user engagement.

Many nutrition tracking apps are free but offer premium versions that users must pay for.

The Centers for Disease Control and others say that how many calories you need depends on factors including your age, sex and level of physical activity. The CDC provides a tool to calculate how many calories an individual needs.

Critics warn that food databas-

es are often inaccurate, with estimated portion sizes and calorie counts that vary widely.

Courtney Simpson, a behavioral psychologist and director of eating disorders at the Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, said some apps encourage people to set calorie goals that are far too low for any adult. That’s not only unhealthy but can set people up for failure.

The gaming features keep people coming back to unrealistic goals, creating shame that may contribute to binge eating or other behaviors people are trying to change, Simpson said.

“It’s not that gamification itself is bad. It’s about what it is promoting,” she said. “Is that actually going to be beneficial?”

MyFitnessPal and Noom did not respond to several requests for comment.

Listen to your body

Anderberg said people who already believe that thinner is better are more likely to misuse the apps. Calorie and macronutrient tracking can then become obsessional, which creates more nega-

tive feelings when daily goals aren’t met.

She urged users to be skeptical of what the apps tell them to do and instead rely on their own intuition. If you feel the need to rest, nurse an injury or treat yourself to something delicious, do so.

“We are sort of losing that ability to read our body cues,” she said.

Simpson noted that focusing on weight as a measure of overall health, besides being inaccurate, makes it more likely to lose and regain weight. Such cycling is linked to worse health outcomes over time.

“If you really want lasting change, then you need to be doing behaviors that are feasible and sustainable for you over time,” she said.

Drury could see how the apps could be harmful for people predisposed to disordered eating, but she said the most important consideration for her is to set realistic goals and listen to your body.

“I’ve ultimately learned that you cannot starve yourself into being in the shape you want to be in,” she said.

A cancer patient’s cats inspired a push for pets in hospice wards

BY VANESSA GERA, Associated Press

When Ewa Lutka-Krawczyk was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, her first thought was for Gaja, a shelter dog she took in three years ago. She asked her doctor to assure her she would live a few more years so the deeply attached Gaja “wouldn’t be left behind.”

But the prognosis was grim, and this month the 70-year-old was admitted to the palliative ward of a Warsaw hospital. Left at home with Lutka-Krawczyk’s husband, Gaja was barely eating.

“She is waiting for me,” Lutka-Krawczyk said from her bed, where she rested with a draining tube attached to her abdomen.

Under proposed new legislation in Poland, patients like Lutka-Krawczyk soon would have the right to be visited in hospices and palliative care wards by their pets. Visits are already allowed in many clinics, but there is no universal right under the law.

One expert reports an ‘epidemic of loneliness’

Dr. Tomasz Dzierżanowski, director of the Palliative Medicine Clinic at the Medical University of Warsaw, where Lutka-Krawczyk is being treated, has led the proposal, which was introduced to parliament by a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist party.

Dzierżanowski said the presence of a beloved pet can ease the physical and spiritual pain of terminally ill patients at a time when society is experiencing “an epidemic of loneliness.”

“We make sure that no patient dies alone,” Dzierżanowski said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“When someone is suffering, it is important that someone is there for them. Ideally, that should be another human being,” he said. “Sometimes, however, there is no one.”

Dzierżanowski said he often sees older patients isolated because they have outlived their friends, as well as young patients feeling alone in palliative care clinics because in today’s world of screens and virtual friends, they have not built the kind of friendships that earlier generations often had.

Dzierżanowski said the catalyst for his mission was a seriously ill cancer patient named Waldemar who was not afraid for himself but for his two cats. Dzierżanowski arranged for the cats to be brought into the ward.

The man’s tears of happiness and the cats’ emotional reaction — as well as that of other patients and hospital staff who witnessed the reunion — “made me realize that this issue finally needed to be addressed,” he said.

Dzierżanowski allows pets to visit patients in his clinic when conditions allow, which means that Lukta-Krawczyk can look forward to a visit from Gaja. That pleased her when she learned of it.

“In reality, animals in hospitals are already there anyway,” said Katarzyna Piekarska, the lawmaker who introduced the legislation, which is now in parliament’s health committee.

“That’s why it needs to be regulated in the law.”

Therapy dogs are also allowed

Dzierżanowski also allows visits by therapy dogs. When the AP visited, Kluska, an Australian shepherd, was making the rounds with her owner, Małgorzata Brzozowska.

Kluska — whose name means “dumpling” — brought some distraction to Lutka-Krawczyk, who held the dog’s paw and smiled.

Another patient, Wojciech Zelik, a 58-year-old admitted with a tumor, propped himself up to admire the dog as Brzozowska got Kluska to perform tricks.

“She has such lovely fur to pet, so fluffy,” he said, reaching over and rubbing her head.

Brzozowska said therapy dog visits also help relieve the stress of nurses, cooks and other staff who tend to the terminally ill patients. Several made a fuss over Kluska, crouching down to pet her in the hallway — with the cook giving her slices of ham.

Brzozowska, a medical student, said the benefits are even greater when the patients are visited by their own pets. It calms them, their loved ones — and the animals, too.

“The dog isn’t as stressed,” she said. “We interpret this as meaning that he simply knows what’s happening, that he knows where the owner, who was always there before, has disappeared to.”

Playing hip-hop or Doris instructors can speak

Bengie Santos was a dancer and choreographer for 30 years before reaching an age when most artists hang up their dancing shoes and take a seat in the audience. But she wasn’t ready to sit back and enjoy the show. So Santos began her third act as an exercise instructor.

Now 72 and in her 14th year teaching at the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Santos has an almost cult-like following of older adults — many in their 80s and 90s — who come to stretch, dance and lift weights multiple times a week.

From Doris Day singalongs to hiphop routines and country line dances, the classes get people kicking, popping and spinning.

Some of Santos’ students say younger instructors — however great — don’t quite “get them” in the same way.

And Y organizers and other experts say many older instructors can be role models, speaking their peers’ language in a way that makes exercise more fun.

Exercise can build social connections

Sharon Ruff, 81, was attracted to Santos’ classes by the eclectic mix of music, and loves the instructor’s energy and enthusiasm. Before she retired from her job as a teacher, she had never exercised regularly. “I didn’t really like it, because it

wasn’t fun,” she says.

Her friend Ann Kashiwa, 91, often stays for two hour-long classes in a row. She started taking Santos’ classes during the pandemic, and has stuck with them through treatment for pancreatic cancer.

“She is not only a fantastic teacher, but she gets people together,” says Kashiwa, whose Y friendships have helped her through tough times.

Santos says inspiration flows both ways. Her students inspire her to keep going, she says, and “I’m hoping I inspire them to keep going.”

What older instructors can offer

Exercise and being with people are crucial for healthy aging, so finding incentives to do that is important.

“Everybody has to figure out what their barriers are” and come up with strategies to make physical activity rewarding, says Daniel E. Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard and author of several books, including “Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding.”

Finding someone to get you moving, whether an instructor or a friend, can help overcome that natural resistance.

“People who stay active as they get older are important role models for everyone,” Lieberman says.

Harry King, an 83-year-old personal trainer in Greenville, South Carolina,

Doris Day, older exercise their peers’ language

agrees that motivation to take that first step is tough for many people, and becomes even harder as their mobility weakens.

King had always been active – kayaking, hiking and playing basketball – but when he retired from his job as an insurance executive and business coach, he felt a pull toward a comfortable chair in front of the TV. But that got boring fast, so when he saw a Help Wanted sign at Planet Fitness, he applied and worked his way up to become a trainer.

Most of his clients are 50 or older.

“I’ve heard people say I set a good example and I try to,” he says. “At my age, if I can exercise, why can’t other people too?”

Recruiting older instructors

The YMCA in Seattle is mindful of the value of having an older instructor leading a senior class.

“We don’t put an age limit on our applicants,” says program executive Kerry Ashby, who started there as a younger instructor for the Active Older Adults program. The Y does recruit from within the older adult classes, and a lot of instructors are former participants.

“We know it’s more than just fitness for the majority of our active older adults,” Ashby says. “It’s also the mental and emotional aspect.”

Tom Kleinecke, 67, has been a member of the Y for 18 years and has sampled many different classes. Younger instructors,

he says, tend to teach their classes, while Santos leads and inspires.

Kleinecke says his fitness and endurance have improved noticeably since he started taking three of Santos’ classes a week. Although he’s fit, he says, it’s challenging to keep up with her.

One of the classes includes a faster-paced dance class not designed for older students. At first, parts were tough to follow, he said, but before long, he knew all the steps, from mambo to moonwalk.

“If you’re worried about being out of sync and uncoordinated, don’t worry about it because nobody is paying attention to you,” Kleinecke says. They’re all watching the instructor.

Now, he and his wife go out dancing on the weekends.

Looking forward to working out

Santos says she considers the ages and backgrounds of her students when choosing the exercise class soundtrack.

“I always tell other instructors it isn’t your class, it’s their class,” she says.

She also teaches smaller classes in three senior living facilities. Those students range from 80 to 102.

“The caregivers wheel them out. I play their music. It triggers their memory,” from Judy Garland to Louie Armstrong, Santos says. “When they see me they think they’re going to party.”

Some even waltz in their chairs.

Medicare is now covering some GLP-1 weight loss drugs for $50. Here’s what to know

BY ALI SWENSON, Associated Press

Popular — and expensive — GLP-1 weight loss drugs just got a lot cheaper for many older Americans.

The federal government is now offering a selection of the brand name medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge.

The temporary program, which runs until the end of 2027, is the first opportunity for most older adults to get GLP-1s, short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, covered by insurance when used strictly for weight loss. But there are weight and health requirements, and those who already get GLP-1s covered for diseases like diabetes and sleep apnea won’t qualify.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he hopes the program can help his agency collect data to potentially work toward longer-term coverage, while providing immediate relief to cash-strapped older Americans.

“The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he said in a call with reporters. “That ends today.”

Eligibility is based on BMI and other conditions

Of the more than 70 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, at least 10 million are overweight or obese, said Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the healthcare re-

search nonprofit KFF. But, she said, a narrower slice of that group will have access to this program.

There’s no good data on how many people it can benefit — and Oz declined to speculate on the number with reporters. He said data from the program will reveal how many eligible beneficiaries choose to take the drugs, a number his team is keen to learn.

To qualify, besides having Medicare drug coverage, you must have a body mass index of 35 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher alongside another health condition, such as a past heart attack or stroke, prediabetes or another from a list on the CMS website. BMI measurements are counted at the start of GLP-1 therapy — so even people who fall below the threshold now can qualify if they can show they had a high enough BMI when they began taking the drugs.

Medicare beneficiaries who have sleep apnea, diabetes or fatty liver disease can’t access the program, but their Medicare Part D insurance might cover their GLP-1s separately based on those diagnoses.

If you think you might qualify, the first step is to contact your health care provider, CMS says on its website. The provider must send a prescription for one of the covered GLP-1 drugs to a pharmacy and fill out a prior authorization form.

Only some GLP-1s are included

The covered medications include drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets. Those GLP-1s

have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, Cubanski said.

For those in the program, the cost is $50 per month, regardless of dosage. But those payments won’t contribute to their insurance deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums. That’s because Medicare, rather than the Part D insurer, is subsidizing the prescription.

Longer-term

coverage of GLP-1s remains uncertain

The program is scheduled to sunset after Dec. 31, 2027. And since Congress hasn’t authorized Medicare to cover weight loss drugs permanently, the federal government is limited in its options to keep the access flowing.

Congress could pass a law to allow the drugs to be covered. CMS also could move forward with a different, voluntary pilot program for covering the drugs called BALANCE, which the agency indefinitely delayed earlier this year when many Part D insurers were reluctant to sign up.

Oz told reporters that CMS plans to “carefully track participation and outcomes” to see whether an extension of the Bridge program or another solution is the best way to move forward. He told The Associated Press a federal law permanently allowing the coverage is “not essential right now” but something “for Congress to debate amongst themselves.”

“We can’t decide what’s going to happen long term with Bridge until we see some of

the data,” he said, noting that other negotiations with drug companies to lower costs are ongoing.

Program is life-changing for some, frustrating for others

GLP-1s have soared in popularity in recent years, and they’ve spurred dramatic weight loss in many patients. But their cost — sometimes hundreds of dollars a month for higher doses — has been a barrier.

For 78-year-old California resident Gloria Dralla, who told the AP she’s lost some 40 pounds after buying lower-cost Wegovy in Europe, the Bridge program means being able to continue a treatment that has improved her life.

“This drug should be made available at a reasonable price for everybody who’s got weight loss problems,” she said.

But not everyone will have access to the drugs at an affordable price. Katie Smith, 71, in Virginia isn’t so sure she will be eligible for the program. She has a BMI of 33 but doesn’t know yet if she has another health condition that would allow her to meet the requirements.

Smith, whose mobility and ability to exercise were severely limited by a spinal cord injury in her 20s, said she has looked into getting the medications but was quoted $700 a month, a price she can’t afford.

“I cannot tell you how frustrated I am,” she said. “I have the drive and I have the willingness and I have the motivation, but I have not been able to lose weight in all the conventional ways.”

A soothing cup of herbal tea can begin in your garden

BY JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

Drink a fragrant cup of herbal tea, and the intoxicating scent of steeped herbs might calm your mind before you even take a sip. Even better is when they come from your own backyard herb garden.

Mine includes several ingredients for my daily cup, and they’re all easy to grow and prepare.

Herbal teas are distinct from true teas — such as black or green — which comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. (You can grow that in your garden, too.) Brew herbal teas with either freshly harvested or dried herbs.

Either way, settling in with a cup of homegrown herbal tea — hot or iced — can be a relaxing ritual.

General tips for growing herbs

Most herbs require a sunny spot that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily, but they benefit from a bit of afternoon shade in hot climates. They grow well in containers, raised beds and gardens in well-draining soil. Fertilizer isn’t usually necessary, but incorporating a generous helping of compost into the soil at planting time will help nourish herbs throughout the growing season.

To sow directly outdoors, space seeds as directed on the package label. If seeds are super tiny, such as those of mints, mix them with a bit of sand, then scatter them directly over the soil. When they reach 2 inches tall, remove excess sprouts to achieve the recommended spacing between the remaining plants.

Check the “date to maturity” on the seed pack or plant tag. Seeds are best sown in spring, but purchased starter plants can be planted later as long as the expected harvest date falls within the remaining time frame before the first frost.

Keep the soil lightly moist until the plants become established, then water only when the soil dries out.

These 5 herbs are popular for tea

Here are some favorite herbs to get you started.

German chamomile: This annual plant’s miniature daisy-like flowers make a cheerful addition to the garden and brew into a lovely, delicate tea that pairs well with a bit of honey. Provide regular doses of a flower-boosting fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, according to package directions, beginning one month after planting.

Mints: There are many delicious choices. Favorites include peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, pineapple mint, lime mint and apple mint. All perennial mints (hardy in zones 3-9) grow and spread with abandon, so it’s best to plant them in pots rather than directly into the garden (unless you are willing to allow them to take over an entire area).

Agastache foeniculum: Commonly called anise hyssop, this perennial is often used as an ornamental in flower beds in zones 3-8 or 9. The plant’s highly aromatic leaves make a tasty licorice-flavored tea. Although related to mint, it retains a mostly mounded form and does not spread as aggressively as its cousins. Note: For tea, be sure to plant the straight species (foeniculum); although other anise hyssops may be edible, their flavors vary.

Lemon balm: Another mint relative, this perennial is hardy in zones 4-8 and should also be contained to prevent aggressive spread. Its subtle lemon flavor is refreshing without being overpowering.

Lemon verbena: This perennial shrub, hardy in zones 8-11, grows best in partial shade and is a heavier feeder than many other herbs. Apply a liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks to boost its health and vigor. Hardy in zones 8-11, the plant’s leaves impart a stronger, more intense lemon flavor than lemon balm.

When to harvest herbs and how to steep them

Harvest herbs in the morning, just after the dew has dried, when their essential oils are most concentrated. In my zone 7 garden, that’s typically around 10 a.m. Rinse them well and pat dry.

To use right away, heat water to just below boiling, then pour 8 ounces into a cup with 2-3 tablespoons of chopped, fresh herbs. Cover the cup and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain, and add sweetener or combine with other herbs, as desired.

To dry herbs for future use, spread them on a screen or tie a bunch of stems together and hang the bouquet upside down. Place in a well-ventilated, dark, dry spot until they become crunchy.

Remove leaves or flowers from stems, then store in a tightly sealed glass jar in a cool, dark spot, like a kitchen cabinet, where they’ll retain their flavor and fragrance for about 2 years.

Because the drying process concentrates their flavors, you’ll need fewer herbs and less brewing time to make your tea, so start with 1 teaspoon and 5 minutes of steeping, adjusting according to your preference.

It’s Crickets

in The Kitchen – or is it grasshoppers?

For now, though, he is often either in the compact dining area, where selections are spelled out on a wall high above a counter, or the kitchen, where he speaks with laughter about a secret ingredient, traditional in Aztec cooking, that he slips into one of his four salsas: roasted grasshoppers.

“The ancestors eat it before, which is salsa, the chepulina, which is like a cricket ...” he said.

“Wait, wait, hold on,” I say when I hear this. “So did you just say that you’re going to be using crickets in the salsa?”

Matter-of-factly, Luna starts to laugh. “Yes. It’s not exactly the crickets; it’s a different name ... We call it chapulinas, because it’s an Aztec name. We use it for one salsa ...”

Google Translate tells me it’s not exactly the crickets, it’s the ... roasted grasshoppers. A Mexican company supplies them to a California business that he buys from, pre-roasted. He grinds them with a mortar and pestle and sprinkles them into his tomato salsa. They have a lot of protein!” he says with a laugh.

“Yeah, we put the garlic salt, onions, the crickets and we blend them and after that we put the green tomato and the habanero,” he said.

The crickets create little black speckles and add a savory pop of flavor that would never call to mind a cricket or a grasshopper. (The crunchiness doesn’t either – had he not mentioned it, I never would have guessed.)

When photojournalist Kevin J. Beaty shows up to take pictures, his agenda probably didn’t include an al pastor and a brisket taco, draped in roasted grasshopper salsa and dressed with cilantro, onion, a lemon wedge and a few slices of radish for extra crunch.

Also going into the taco are a few pineapple slivers that have been roasting and rotating near a flame. Fold the taco down the middle, and one bite is a flavor bomb that’s simultaneously juicy, hot and savory, made a bit more zingy and exciting with a textured salsa into which grasshopper bits have been ground.

“Oh, this is good, so good,” Beaty said.

Moctezuma’s wife, Veronica Diaz, is often the one filling orders that come in by phone and internet. She takes pre-marinated meats –brisket, beef and pork – from the fridge, then puts a generous portion on the hot skillet. While it heats, she chops some of the toppings, so that the meat and sides

are ready at the same time. Finally, she transfers everything to the inside of a corn tortilla – which he said is more typical of Aztec Mexican cuisine, as opposed to Mexican cuisine, which might use a flour tortilla.

Once we are done trying a few different types of taco, Luna says, “Thank you guys to come.”

Without having to get in the car, there’s another place to stop into, and it’s right next door.

Kingston Market

Metro Balderas’ neighbor is Kingston International Market, an essential stop for anyone who is also take-out minded and doesn’t mind a few preparation steps. There’s nowhere to sit or dine here, nothing piping hot to sample. Instead, shelves form rows in this tight, overstuffed, vibrant market, run by a Nigerian husband and wife team who, clearly still in love at their sixty-something ages, laugh and tease each other.

During a recent visit, they share that their shop is not just a random idea, but, like Metro Balderas, intentionally grounded in past life experience.

Co-owner Enoch Awoniyi came with his wife, Love, to Colorado in 1991 because his older brother was here. They had met on a college campus in Nigeria. Love, busy with her studies and going to church, wasn’t trying to meet anyone, but Enoch was persistent. She gave him her middle name, which has more than a dozen letters, but he found a way to find her.

After graduating, one of his jobs was with the now-defunct Colorado Free University, where people could create classes to benefit the community. He started a financial management class, doing that for nine years, while also consulting with people who were starting businesses and writing business plans. Then he went on to teach at another now-defunct school, College of America. “That college required that individuals that will teach for them will not teach from theoretical perspective, but from practice.”

Opening Kingston International Market in 2006 allowed him to do that.

“I was able to use it as a practice for what I was teaching in the college ... when I was helping individuals to develop a business plan, I was depending on the practice of what I already had,” he said.

Once the business got up and running, and people started showing up to buy hard-to-find items there, he saw no reason to shut it down. He loves to meet and chat with people who stop in for bags of frozen Jamaican beef patties that he imports from a shop in Brooklyn.

He sells five for $11, about half the price of buying them fresh.

(Ready-to-eat patties sold at Cuban and Haitian restaurants in Aurora cost $4 or $5 each.) And he goes far beyond the standard beef filling.

“The jerk chicken is spicy, the curry chicken is mild for the chicken,” he said. Bags are stocked in a freezer. Checking out at the counter, he tells customers to bake them at 365 degrees for about 25 minutes. Once ready, the hot interior is almost bubbling with juices and either beef or chicken. The exterior yellow-orange crust flakes into slivers and offers a dry counterpoint to the moist meat blend.

Moving up and down the aisles, cluttered with boxes of new inventory, Love pointed out a few more fast-movers.

“Jerk seasoning for chicken,

beef, anything they use it for. Fish is very popular because if you want to really make your fish or your meat really authentic, people get this.” Jerk seasoning includes some typical ingredients like salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, and what makes it distinctive is the use of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers.

Love, who grew up in a Nigerian village eating goat, chicken, plantain, yams and other vegetables, says having the products she sells is essential to both her cooking and that of her customers.

Pushing a few jars into place, she also points out red palm oil, another ingredient that people come in for.

“You can use it to make beans,”

she said. “You can use it to make vegetable soup. Very popular on YouTube. And sometimes when they have special occasions, you have to use it to give the flavor that you are really looking for.”

Flavors people perhaps don’t know they’re looking for can be found all around Aurora, whether on or off famous South Havana Street, at restaurant incubator/ immigrant community hub Mango House in Aurora’s cultural district, or in some of the less visible locations where Haitian restaurant Mama Josie Cafe Creole, and Metro Balderas Aztek Food and Kingston International Market,

located. Whether dining in or taking out, happy discovery of lesser-known places!

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO DATE:

July 2 and 9, 2026

PURCHASE ORDER NO. 24P0532K

PROJECT NO: 5940A

PROJECT TITLE: Wild Horse Reservoir

CM/GC Work Package NO. 1

CONTRACTOR:

FDS JV

385 Interlocken Crescent, Ste. 900 Broomfield, CO 80021

Notice is hereby given that the City of Aurora intends to start processing the Final Payment to the above-named Contractor on July 20, 2026, provided no claims are received.

Any person or firm having debts against the Contractor must file a proper written notice with the Contract Coordinator, City of Aurora, Purchasing and Contract Services Division, 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Suite 5700, Aurora, Colorado 80012, on or before the above date.

CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO BY: Nathan Jones, Procurement Supervisor

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026 Sentinel

NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT

CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO DATE: July 2 and 9, 2026

PURCHASE ORDER NO. 25P0397K

PROJECT NO: Emergency

PROJECT TITLE: Three Mini Roundabouts: Florida Ave & Moline St.; Yale Ave & Rifle St.,; Ventura and Amherst Ave.

CONTRACTOR: NORAA Concrete Construction Corp. 997 Platte River Blvd., Unit A Brighton, CO 80643

Notice is hereby given that the City of Aurora intends to start processing the Final Payment to the above-named Contractor on July 20, 2026, provided no claims are received.

Any person or firm having debts against the Contractor must file a proper written notice with the Contract Coordinator, City of Aurora, Purchasing and Contract Services Division, 15151 East Alameda Parkway Suite 5700, Aurora, Colorado 80012, on or before the above date.

CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO BY: Kristin Chewiwi

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026 Sentinel BEFORE THE ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO CAUSE NO. 535

DOCKET NO. 251200259

TYPE: OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT

PLAN SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF THE PROMULGATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF FIELD RULES TO GOVERN OPERATIONS FOR THE NIOBRARA FORMATION, WATTENBERG FIELD, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO

TO THE following interested parties: Lucille B. Grant

William P. Grant

Shirley A. Fritzler, Trustee Ling Zimmerman and Jennifer Ling Mah

You are hereby summoned and may appear and respond to the Application filed with the Commission in this docket.

Pursuant to C.R.S. §§ 34-60-101 – 144, Crestone Peak Resources Operating, LLC (Operator No. 10633) (“Applicant”), filed an Application for an order to approve an approximate 8,987-acre Oil and Gas Development Plan (“OGDP”) for the development and production of twenty-six (26) total horizontal wells, to be developed from one (1) new Oil and Gas Location on the below-described lands (“Application Lands”) (the “Buffalo OGDP”):

19.17 acres

The Commission scheduled this matter for hearing on:

Date: August 26, 2026

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203

To oppose the Application, you must file a written petition with the Commission pursuant to Commission Rule 507. You must file your protest on or before July 27, 2026. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https://ecmc.colorado.gov/, under “Regulation,” then select “Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/ DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login. aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at https://ecmc.state.co.us/documents/reg/Hearings/External_EfilingSystemGuidebook_2023_FINAL.pdf for more information. Under Commission Rule 508, if no petition is filed, the Application may be approved administratively without a formal hearing.

If you file a petition, you must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of July 27, 2026, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.

If you fail to file a timely petition, the Commission may enter an order affecting your interests in the Application Lands without further notice. This matter may be continued to a future Commission hearing date, but that does not change your petition deadline. A copy of the Application may be obtained from the Commission’s eFiling system or Applicant’s attorney.

ENERGY AND CARBON MANAGEMENT COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO By /s/ Elias Thomas, Commission Secretary

Dated: June 11, 2026

Energy & Carbon Management Commission 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, Colorado 80203 Website: https://ecmc.colorado.gov/ Phone: (303) 894-2100 Fax: (303) 894-2109

Attorney for Applicant: Crestone Peak Resources Operating LLC c/o Julia E. Rhine Mimi C. Larsen Ruth E. Morris Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP 675 15th Street, Suite 2900 Denver, CO 80202 303-223-1100 jrhine@bhfs.com mlarsen@bhfs.com rmorris@bhfs.com

First Publication: June 25, 2026 Final Publication: July 23, 2026 Sentinel COUNTY COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO NOTICE OF HEARING Case No. 2024C001247

In re Permanent Protection Order of: Plaintiff: CLODINNE KAYITESI and Defendant: DAVID QUANSAH TO: All Parties

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Hearing regarding the dismissal of the protection order has been scheduled for Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Arapahoe County Court, Courtroom 101.

Failure to appear at this hearing may result in the Court entering Orders against you.

Dated June 18, 2026.

Respectfully submitted, Heritage Family Law, LLC /s/ Jarod C. Harsha #55360 2679 West Main Street, Suite 300-1127 Littleton, CO 80120 Phone: (303) 569-9607 Email: jarod@heritagefamilylawyers.com

First Publication: July 9, 2026 Final Publication: July 23, 2026 Sentinel

DISTRICT COURT, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION Case N. 2026CV30436

Plaintiff(s)/Petitioner(s): HONIEL DAVIS

v. Defendant(s)/Respondent(s): HI LOFTS LLC

are required to file your answer or other response within 21* days after the service of this summons upon you. Service of this summons shall be complete on the day of the last publication. A copy of the complaint [petition] may be obtained from the clerk of the court.

If you fail to file your answer or other response to the complaint [petition] in writing within 21*days after the date of the last publication, judgment by default may be rendered against you by the court for the relief demanded in the complaint [petition] without further notice.

This is an action: for premises liability.

Dated: 06/02/2026

Ian Griffin

2851 S. Parker Rd., Ste. 150 Aurora, CO. 80014

First Publication: July, 2026

Final Publication: August 6, 2026 Sentinel PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF SUMNER COUNTY, AT GALLATIN, TENNESSEE OFFICE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT CLERK CASE NO. 83CC1-2026-CV-331

YENSI ELIZABETH PAZ Plaintiff VS EDGARDO ANAEL PAZ Defendant

It appearing from the bill filed in this cause, which is sworn to, that the defendant has been unable to serve by certified mail, however his last known address was 11910 East Kansas Drive, Aurora, Colorado 80012 therefore he cannot be served with the ordinary process of law to bring him before the Court. It is therefore Ordered that the defendant, Edgardo Anael Paz, enter his appearance herein on or before the 10th day of August, 2026 and answer plaintiffs bill or the same will be taken as confessed as to him and the matter will be set for hearing exparte. A copy of this Notice will be published for four consecutive weeks in the Sentinel, a newspaper published in Aurora, Colorado.

KATHRYN STRONG- CLERK

THOMAS JAY MARTIN, JR.

ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF

First Publication: June 18, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026

Sentinel VEHICLE FOR SALE

2024 TOYOTA BZ4X VIN-081821

Extreme Towing

303-344-1400

Publication: July 9, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO § 15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR58

Estate of Lynne T. Hull, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before September 19, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Katy T. Hull Personal Representative 3558 Akron Ct. Denver, CO. 80238

First Publication: June 25, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801

Case No. 2026PR129

Estate of Eduardo Delgado, Deceased. All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before June 30, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Cristina Delgado

Personal Representative 13035 Converse Rd. Bennett, CO 80102

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S.

Case No. 2026PR030652

Banner, Bower & Coultrip, P.C.

115 E. Riverwalk, Suite 400

Pueblo, CO 81003

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026 Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR30194

Estate of Ronald G. Stjernholm aka Ronald Glen Stjernholm aka Ron Stjernholm, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November, 2026,or the claims may be forever barred. Robert Stjernholm

Personal Representative 2000 W. 12th Ave. Lakewood, CO 80214

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 16, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR30300

Estate of Ariene M. Hawkins, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Georgine Rukavina Personal Representative 1724 Pinnacle Dr. Aurora, IL 60502

Attorney for Personal Representative

Jack Connors, Esq. Atty Reg #: 60691

Spaeth & Doyle, LLP

501 S. Cherry St., Ste. 700 Glendale, CO 80246

Phone: 303-385-8058

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR30359

Estate of Vincent James Tancreti aka Vincent Tancreti aka Vince Tancreti, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 2, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Elizabeth Tancreti

Personal Representative 535 Queenstown Dr. Kenly, NC 27542

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 16, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR30455

Estate of THOMAS A. VANDERBUR aka THOMAS ALEXANDER VANDERBUR aka THOMAS VANDERBUR aka TOM A. VANDERBUR aka TOM ALEXANDER VANDERBUR aka TOM VANDERBUR, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado, on or before November 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Eric T. Vanderbur & Leanne B. Vanderbur

Personal Representatives 10122 Josephine St. Thornton, CO 80229

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR311

Estate of Deborah H. Foreman, Deceased. All persons are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 1, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Randall Foreman

Personal Representative 4400 S. Quebec St., #R107 Denver, CO 80237

First Publication: June 18, 2026

Final Publication: July 2, 2026

Sentinel

Estate of Denette Marie French aka Denette M. French aka Denette French, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred.

Anna L. Burr, Esq. 2851 S. Parker Road, Ste. 230 Aurora, CO 80014

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR281

Estate of DEBORA LEE LOSAVIO aka DEBORA L. LOSAVIO aka DEBORA LOSAVIO aka DEBBIE LOSAVIO, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR325

Estate of Lance Steven Edward York, 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 October 22, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Christine York

Personal Representative 1622 Papago Dr. Chino Valley, AZ 86323

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 16, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No.2026PR347

Estate of Philip James Wanczyk, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 2, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred.

Lynda Sox

Personal Representative 3895 S. Sherman St. Englewood, CO 80113

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR30523

Estate of Jennifer Lee Cole aka Jennifer L. Cole aka Jennifer Cole, Deceased.

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 5, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred.

Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives, Scott Gelman 8480 E. Orchard Rd., Ste. 5000 Greenwood Village, CO 80111

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 16, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2026PR030317

Estate of Kathy J. Keenan aka Kathy Keenan Kathy Jean Keenan, Deceased.

All persons havin claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Jennifer Sue Lee

Personal Representative 7821 Linda Cir. Denver, CO 80221

First Publication: July 9, 2026

Final Publication: July 23, 2026

Sentinel

NOTICE TO CREDITORS BY PUBLICATION

PURSUANT TO §15-12-801, C.R.S. Case No. 2025PR575

Estate of Binh Minh Thi Nguyen, 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 October 31, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred. Son Nguyen Personal Representative 10278 Quivas St., Unit 6 Thornton, CO 80260

First Publication: June 25, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026

Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF AN ADULT ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2026CV199<\#13>/B> PUBLIC NOTICE is given on June 1, 2026, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapa-hoe County Court.

The Petition en-tered that the name of Grace Michelle Behrend be changed to Grace Michelle Skye.

/s/ Clerk of Court/ Deputy Clerk

First Publication: June 25, 2026

Final Publication: July 9, 2026 Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION OF CHANGE OF NAME OF AN ADULT

ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2026C100537

PUBLIC NOTICE is given on June 15, 2026, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Petition en-tered that the name of Trevor Thomas Guerin changed to Thomas DiAngelo.

/s/ Judge

First Publication: July 2, 2026

Final Publication: July 16, 2026 Sentinel

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PETITION OF CHANGE OF NAME OF A MINOR ARAPAHOE COUNTY COURT, COLORADO Case No. 2026CV213

PUBLIC NOTICE is given on June 10, 2026, that a Petition was filed for a Change of Name of a Minor has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Petition en-tered that the name of Abril Elena Montijo Dominguez changed to Abril

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFEN-

DANT(S): You are hereby summoned and required to appear and defend against the claims of the complaint [petition] filed with the court in this action, by filing with the clerk of this court an answer or other response. You

All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Arapahoe County, Colorado, on or before November 9, 2026, or the claims may be forever barred.

Sonya M. Treadway-Eden c/o Lisha R. Coultrip

filed for a Change of Name of an Adult has been filed with the Arapahoe County Court.

The Petition en-tered that the name of Kathleen Rae Panek changed to Kathleen Lucille Rae Panek.

/s/ Judge First Publication: July 2, 2026 Final Publication: July 16, 2026 Sentinel

Making something right in Aurora that went impossibly wrong

Aurora, like the metro area, has seen makeover miracles before. A community non-profit group is working to take on re-creating an Aurora problem so fearsome it drew gasps from across the nation and even the globe.

The East Colfax Community Collective has purchased the notorious Edge of Lowry apartment complex to rehabilitate the 60 units across six buildings to create comfortable places to live for people who often struggle to afford comfortable places to live.

If you don’t know the name of the complex right off, you know the sordid story behind the northwest Aurora apartment complex, currently shuttered because it’s uninhabitable.

The Edge is one of three apartment complexes in the area, all owned by the same New York landlord, that regularly was the focus of Fox News in 2024 as Donald Trump cranked up his bid for another shot at the White House.

The apartments were woven into a hysterical false narrative powered by former Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, beginning in the summer of 2024. Jurinsky told local right-wing radio talk shows, and then Fox News personalities, that Aurora was being overrun by notorious Venezuelan gangsters in the Tren de Aragua mob.

It was the same yarn CBZ Management officials told in trying to justify why their three apartment complexes were rife with problems, ranging from rodent infestations, to mountains of garbage and rampant hoodlum antics and crimes.

The anti-immigrant narrative was tied to an influx months earlier of as many as 40,000 Venezuelan immigrants trafficked to Denver by Texas state officials in one of the darkest episodes in American history since the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

As the story told by Jurinsky, and later Trump himself, went, Tren De Aragua members infiltrated the Edge apartments, destroyed them, and took over the complex, extorting the few honest residents in the building and locking out building owner management.

When police and city officials said the facts didn’t support the fabulous saga, Jurinsky and others said they were lying.

In reality, there’s plenty of proof that the city had been investigating issues linked to serious mismanagement of the complex even before the first Venezuelan immigrant got off the first bus from Texas in Denver.

Well-documented investigations by the city made clear that despite Mayor Mike Coffman’s preliminary allegiance to the false narrative, he eventually surmised that the problems related to the complex were caused by what he deemed as “slumlords.”

The city eventually began court action against CBZ, but not before Trump made Aurora one of two national targets of his campaign to drive immigrants from the nation. He insisted that not just these three apartments, but the entire city of Aurora had become a haven for violent immigrant gangsters. An Ohio city where Trump lied about Haitian immigrants eating people’s dogs and cats matched the madness spun around Aurora.

Eventually, the city forced the complex to shut down.

The East Colfax Collective has announced it purchased the Edge complex for $4.45 million.

“It’s a really powerful opportunity to reclaim and revive a property that has long been a toxic asset in the community and a source of harm in the community and turn it into something positive, into community-controlled affordable housing,” Carson Bryant, a director for the East Colfax Community Collective, said. “The redemption arc opportunity here is really strong and is exactly the kind of project we’re interested in pursuing.”

The justice of how this story will end, and there’s no reason to doubt it will, is virtually poetic.

This embattled apartment complex has dragged the neighborhood, and the city, down. The lies told by local lawmakers and Trump have done serious and long-lasting damage to the northwest Aurora community, and the city as well.

A rebirth of The Edge, coupled with a new city-sponsored effort to restore the East Colfax Avenue corridor neighborhoods, have a real chance to do here what Dana Crawford did for the decayed Larimer Street in Denver in the 1960s and 1970s, turning a strip of flop-houses, abandoned buildings and grunge into a place where all kinds of people liked to come to eat, shop, live and hang out.

City lawmakers should step up to do all they can to help this non-profit organization create a safe, comfortable and affordable place for residents who often work harder and longer than any of us and rarely get an opportunity to get their just reward.

ARI ARMSTRONG, GUEST COLUMNIST

Primary election pushes Colorado even further to the left

Yes, Colorado is poised to send a self-professed “democratic socialist” to Congress. Yes, many Democrats call themselves “socialists” even though socialist regimes in the last century slaughtered scores of millions of people.

However, Melat Kiros’s victory over Diana DeGette, one of the biggest upsets in Colorado history, was not only about ideology, maybe not even mainly about ideology. Kiros is young, smart, articulate, attractive, and energetic. She’s the AOC of the West. DeGette, on the other hand, seemed old, boring, and bored. She couldn’t even be bothered to appear on 9News toward the end to pitch her case.

Donald Trump dominates the political scene, and generally voters, especially in Colorado, are unhappy with Trump. Voters wanted a fighter, and Kiros looked ready for a fight.

At least in terms of domestic policy, the differences between Kiros and DeGette are minor. For example, like Kiros, DeGette promoted a “Medicare for All single payer healthcare system.”

The big difference is in the candidates’ stance toward Israel. In her victory speech, Kiros again accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians. She has suggested that the Israeli government be ended, that Israeli policies caused the Hamas terrorist attack against Israeli citizens, and that U.S. policies caused the al-Qaeda terrorist attack against the U.S. on 9/11. She also declined to call the firebombing of Jews in Boulder an act of antisemitism.

How will Phil Weiser, born to a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust and poised to become Colorado’s second Jewish governor (after Jared Polis), campaign with (or at least alongside) Kiros, who cannot bring herself to recognize obvious antisemitic terrorism?

Weiser won, not so much over ideological differences with Michael Bennet, but because, again, voters wanted someone ready to stand up to Trump. As Attorney General, Weiser bragged that he sued Trump 67 times.

Meanwhile, New York’s Michael Bloomberg dumped millions of dollars into Bennet’s coffers. To a large degree, Colorado voters stiffen at the implication that they can be bought.

As of this week, Barbara Kirkmeyer has lost her precarious lead over the exorcist Victor Marx. The good news is that over 186,000 Republican-primary voters saw sense. The bad news it that over

280,000 Republican-primary voters picked either Marx or Scott Bottoms, who has cozied up to the violence-promoting antisemite Joe Oltmann and who has spread crazy conspiracy theories about child trafficking at the state Capitol.

But let’s keep this in context. As I have pointed out, Colorado’s party primary system is stupid and wrong. In a unified, party-free primary with approval voting (or even ranked choice voting), there is no way a clown such as Marx would have had a chance to move to the general election. The losing candidate in the Democratic primary, Bennet, got around 78% more votes than Kirkmeyer. Of course, in the system I propose, Kirkmeyer might not have made the cut either.

Jena Griswold did even better than I expected, taking around 45% of the Democratic-primary vote. However, in the primary system I favor, she probably would have ended up in a general election race against fellow Democrat Michael Dougherty, which would have given Dougherty time to make his case to general-election voters. That would have been a much better outcome, especially given that Dougherty is competent for the job and Griswold is not. But, again, Dems wanted a fighter, and that’s the reputation Griswold has built for herself, however superficially.

A major campaign theme of Democrats is that we need censorship to get “money out of politics.” Of course they don’t call it censorship, but that’s what it is. Remember that the Supreme Court case Citizens United was about whether the federal government could suppress a film about Hillary Clinton.

A central message of the Colorado primaries is that money only goes so far, and underfunded candidates often beat heavily-funded candidates. Kiros beat DeGette. Weiser beat Bennet. Kirkmeyer (probably) beat Marx (or at least competed) despite a huge fundraising disadvantage.

The political landscape can change quickly. At this point, however, it looks like Colorado is about to take another serious lurch left. Next year at the Capitol should be “interesting” for those of us who care about free markets and individual liberty.

Ari Armstrong writes regularly for Complete Colorado and is the author of books about Ayn Rand, Harry Potter, and classical liberalism. He can be reached at ari at ariarmstrong dot com.

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