1-Color
May 1, 2014 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 119, Issue 13 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
Republican candidates for governor square off Gessler, Beauprez and Kopp take part in debate By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Her neighbor, Amy Thomas, is willing to consider urban bow hunting if it’s necessary, but feels more information is needed before any decisions should be made. “I don’t think you can do much until you find out what the deer population is,” Thomas said. “We will support them however they want to go,” said Jennifer Churchill, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Town Administrator Dick Eason said hunting areas have not been established because the board of trustees has not made any rulings. “We’re still in exploratory stages identifying specific locations. What I can promise is even if we do go forward, we won’t have bow hunters going up and down the streets or prowling in back yards,” he said.
Three Republican gubernatorial hopefuls tried to stand apart from one another — while getting in plenty of shots at Gov. John Hickenlooper along the way — during an April 24 debate held two months before voters cast ballots in the GOP primary. The event yielded few surprises, with the candidates speaking in near lockstep on issues that included gun control and the Affordable Care Act — issues they believe will resonate with voters in a general election. But the candidates also addressed a confounding reality for the Republican Party — the fact that they’ve held the governor’s seat just once over the last 40 years. There was a little bit of soul-searching going on when asked whether they felt their party has branding problems. “We have not articulated our values in a practical and positive way,” said Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Three of the four GOP candidates for governor took part in the KUSATV debate in Denver: Gessler; former Congressman Bob Beauprez; and former state Senate Minority Leader Mike Kopp. Former Congressman Tom Tancredo did not take part in the debate. To take over the governor’s mansion again, Republicans will have to win the seat from a sitting governor who currently is the favorite in the race. A Quinnipiac University poll released the day before the debate shows that Hickenlooper enjoys a 7 percentage-point advantage over his closest Republican competitor. Beauprez acknowledged that the last several years have been “a tough era” for Republicans. But he contends that the GOP is finally in a good position to win over voters, due in part to a state and federal government that he feels has overreached in several areas. “At this moment in time, I think our brand is on the rise for a very obvious reason,” he said. “There’s two philosophies. One believes that people are the problem and that they need to be regulated and controlled. The other believes the people are the solution.” The candidates all took shots at Hickenlooper’s leadership style. Though they acknowledged that Hickenlooper showed leadership following the Aurora theater shooting, they criticized the governor for later signing guncontrol legislation as a response to the massacre. All three candidates said they would work to repeal those gun laws, if elected. And Kopp said that Hickenlooper hasn’t done enough on wildfire-mitigation efforts. “The fact of the matter is, the
Deer continues on Page 15
Debate continues on Page 4
STAYING ALIVE
Douglas County Sheriff ’s Deputy Tom Brinkworth of the Alive at 25 program addresses students at Elizabeth High School during a mock-accident demonstration April 24. The program is designed to educate 16- to 24-year-olds on the importance of safe driving. Photo by Jennifer Edmonds
Oh, deer, be careful on the roads Officials explore ways to control population, including bow hunting By Jennifer Edmonds
Special to Colorado Community Media An overpopulation of deer in Elizabeth has become a cause of concern. There have been an estimated 60 accidents related to deer this past year, according to Police Chief Michael Phibbs. At an average of five accidents per month, that’s a big problem, he said. Officials have been discussing different ways to approach the problem, like educating the public about the dangers of feeding wildlife and how to deter them from coming into town. But one particular proposed solution, bow hunting, has stirred up debate between some residents and local officials. “People just heard bow hunting and let their imaginations run wild,” Phibbs said. “We would never have this being done in residential areas where the houses are close together. If that’s what we were doing, I would be concerned too.” Eight-year resident Rachel Johnson does not believe there is a problem with the size of the deer population.
A deer checks out the terrain on Paddock Street in Elizabeth. Officials say an overpopulation of deer has led to traffic accidents in the town. Photo by Jennifer Edmonds “Quite frankly, they were here first and if you don’t like wildlife you shouldn’t live in Elizabeth,” she said. “Deer can sleep in the yard and I love it, and watching a fawn being born and watching it jump the fence for the first time. “I will do everything I possibly can to keep it from happening.”
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2-Color
2 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
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Elbert County News 3
May 1, 2014
Siblings win essay contests
Heavy medal
Special to Colorado Community Media
Castle View High School junior Riley Capp, left, receives the Congressional Medal from U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner April 16 at Gardner’s Castle Rock office. Young men and women ages 14 to 23 are eligible to earn the award by setting and achieving challenging goals in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/ exploration. On his way to the honor, Capp put in more than 100 hours of volunteer service at his local public library, studied Christian Science, worked on his tennis game and spent four days camping in the mountains. Courtesy photo
Siblings Reilly and Logan Blakeslee each recently took first place in the Elbert County Republican Women’s annual Patriotic Essay contests. On April 10, Reilly, a Legacy Academy student, was awarded first place in the middle school contest for her essay titled “The Freedom to Succeed.” Her brother Logan, an Elizabeth High School student, won the high school contest for his essay titled “The American Dream: Opportunity, Freedom, Optimism.” Both received a U.S. flag from the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office and a Colorado state flag from state Rep. Tim Dore. Dore also presented certificates from the Capitol to the first-, second- and third-place winners of both contests and letters of commendation to the remaining top 10 essayists in both contests. The high school first-place essayist also received the $1,000 Mary Rathbun Memorial Scholarship, donated in Mary’s memory by her husband Larry Durner and her sister Karen Marant. Other winners of the middle school contest were as follows: second place, McKenzie Smith (Big Sandy Middle School, Simla); and third place Pey-
ton Baldwin (Legacy Academy). In the high school contest, second place went to Ashley Baller (Ponderosa High School, Parker) and third place to Caleb Dotten (home school, Elizabeth). For both middle and high school contests, the Elbert County Republican Women awarded $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place. The remaining top 10 high school essayists were Kimberly Peterson (Elizabeth High School), Connor Wills and Ryan Wills (Kiowa High School), Colten Trent and Menzi Spiller (Elbert High School), Hailey Edwards (Simla High School) and Julianna Dotten (home school). The remaining top 10 middle school essayists were Delaney Kretsinger, Megan Frahm and Erin Shiely (Legacy), Sedona Levy, Allison Schieffer and Juan Gomez (Elbert Middle School), and Morris Richardson (Big Sandy Middle School). The nonpartisan essay contest is designed to encourage students to think and write about the privileges and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. The 2014 essay contest’s topic was “The American Dream and How It Relates to You.” The Republican Women will announce the topic for their 2015 Patriotic Essay contest in the fall of 2014.
The B.I.G. Day – Community Tradition Continues Calendar of Events For a complete calendar of South Metro Denver Chamber events and for more information, visit our web site at www.bestchamber.com or call 303-795-0142.
Thursday, May 1st: A crew from the LEADAPALOOZA leads group plant leeks at the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield.
It was a day of giving and gratitude, sweat equity and camaraderie, dirty hands and warm smiles as the Fourth Annual B.I.G. Day (B.I.G. stands for Be Involved, Give) proved that community spirit is alive and very well in South Metro Denver. The Chamber’s Non-profit & Business Partnership lead by Steve Bocher of Catch Fire Marketing as Chair, and Laurian Horowitz of Colorado Life Lessons as Event Chair continued the community tradition. This year’s volunteer count of 600 almost doubled last year’s count making this one of the most successful Chamber events of the year. Activities ran the gamut from planting vegetables at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, to packing winter clothing and rolling out the spring/summer clothing at SheShe’s Corner and planting trees and weeding at the Denver Botanic Gardens community garden. Medical supplies were sorted at Project CURE for shipment to 3rd world hospitals, and food boxes were packed at the Jeffco Action Center. The American Cancer Society had volunteers brain-storming and phoning participants for their upcoming Relay for Life events while The Home Builders Foundation built a wheelchair ramp for a person in need. Interfaith Community Services was aided in stocking and sorting their food-bank. Brien Darby, Manager of the Denver Botanic Gardens community gardening program was thrilled with the experience. “I presented them with some very big tasks with a lot of digging and heavy lifting and they were just about the most enthusiastic group I have ever worked with! We completed all the tasks I had planned and even started on a few additional projects. I really appreciate the level of teamwork and “ready for anything” attitude that we consistently receive from volunteers participating in the BIG help day.” The Audubon Society of Greater Denver got trails cleaned up and readied for the summer months, Alternatives Pregnancy Center got their offices ship-shape in record
After their morning efforts, B.I.G. Day volunteers gathered at the Chamber to celebrate their accomplishments and volunteerism.
time, and TLC Meals on Wheels of Littleton got much needed help with the preparation and delivery of meals to their elderly clients. South Suburban Parks got a sprucing up through the South Suburban Park Foundation volunteers while crowd-funding materials were assembled for Spa 4 the Pink. Castlewood Canyon State Park was assisted with their spring fire mitigation and Friends of Dinosaur Ridge trails in Morrison were readied for the summer crowds. Denver Rescue Mission got help in cleaning and organizing their pantry while the playground and outside areas of the Littleton YMCA got a sprucing-up from volunteers. Shannon Bertram, Executive Director of the Littleton YMCA was grateful for the volunteer sweat-equity. “Thank you to the volunteers that helped at the Y- the playground looks great! What an incredible effort for so many to go out and help the local non-profits....We appreciate you!” After all of the hard work, it was time to blow off some steam as many of the volunteers gathered at the Chamber Center to celebrate the day. Enjoying a delicious lunch buffet served by event sponsor McCormick & Schmick’s with beverages and desserts sponsored by The Tilted Kilt, the group watched as Brian Olson of Conversation Starters had a video already prepared showing the day’s activities. The crowd gave a cheer of support for the B.I.G. Day and many expressed that this was just a beginning with many more hours of volunteer efforts were to come. Chamber Nonprofit and Business Partnership Chair Steve Bocher of Catch Fire Marketing thanked the B.I.G. Day Organizing Committee members: Chair Laurian Horowitz of Colorado Life Lessons, Brian Olson of Conversation Starters, and Sue Kenfield of See It Thrive as well as all of the volunteers past and present. “ ...while the official tally isn’t in, you should take great pride in knowing that over the past three years over 10,000 volunteer hours have been
B.I.G. Day volunteers take a break from cleaning and mulching to get an understanding of what the Audubon Center is all about.
FastTracks New Investor Orientation WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Kimberly Alexander’s The Results Book Signing WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Lone Tree Breast Center Grand Opening Celebration 9544 Park Meadows Dr., Lone Tree
Monday, May 5th: Chamber Ambassadors Meeting Volunteers scour the creek at Progress Park for trash, for the South Suburban Park Foundation.
spent making our community a better, more prosperous place...and that thousands of lives have been touched because of the work that was accomplished during the B.I.G. Day. And also significant, thousands of people have been exposed to the great work of dozens of non-profits and many have stayed connected to these organizations and gone back to support them again!”
WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial
Tuesday, May 6th: Business Bible Study The Library at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial
Wednesday, May 7th: STEM-EC Open Board of Advisors Meeting WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial 29th Annual Small Business Leadership Awards The Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village
Thursday, May 8th: Women in Leadership: Embracing Life’s Challenges: The Expected & Unexpected WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial E.L.I.T.E. Executive Brain Tank: Michael Maloney, CEO of KOTA Longboards KOTA Longboards, 3440 Walnut St., Denver
Friday, May 9th: Economic Development Group Breakfast WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Greater Littleton Youth Initiative WhippleWood CPAs Conference Center at the Chamber, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial
4
4 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
Debate Continued from Page 1
governor has not shown leadership on this,” Kopp said. “His big announcement this spring regarding his wildfire reforms was a big nothing burger.” As far as policy, the three candidates sounded familiar, conservative themes for positions on issues that separate them from Hickenlooper and other Democrats. They blasted the Affordable Care Act, with Kopp saying he would push for legislation that would allow Colorado to opt out of Obamacare’s health insurance exchange program. “I don’t want to be a party of implementing such bad policy,” Kopp said.
elbert county news
“We’re adding a new level of government and to me two wrongs don’t make a right.” The debate over Obamacare prompted the debate’s only sharp exchange. As Senate minority leader, Kopp fought against Obamacare implementation. But Gessler said that those efforts weren’t good enough. “What we need is someone who is going to lead to overturn that,” Gessler said. “Despite the efforts heard earlier, we’ve failed in this state.” That drew a terse response from Kopp. “Mr. Secretary, with all due respect, when I was advancing this agenda you were nowhere to be seen,” Kopp said. They also said they would move forward with the execution of Nathan Dunlap — a death row inmate who killed four people at an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in 1996. Hickenlooper has taken heat from
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Republicans since he granted Dunlap a temporary reprieve last year. The candidates said they did not support raising taxes to generate money for schools or prisons. And they all said they would push to repeal a law from last year that allows undocumented students living in Colorado to attend state colleges and universities at instate tuition rates. For the most part, the candidates wanted nothing to do with gay rights issues. Beauprez and Kopp said they had no intention of overturning last year’s law that created civil unions in Colorado. Although Gessler said he would “have to look at the bill,” he did indicate that overturning the law “is on the table.” The candidates all affirmed their prolife stances, but Beauprez didn’t seem very interested in talking about abortion. He said that pursuing a law to outlaw abortion “would not be on the agenda right now for anyone on this campaign.” “I think it’s an issue that is trumped up in every political campaign for obvious reasons — to divide good people on a very
difficult issue that really isn’t simply resolved,” he said. Kopp had no problem talking about his desire for an abortion ban. “I am pro-life and would absolutely stand up for legislation that creates life without exceptions,” he said. The candidates were also asked about the baggage they might bring to the race. Beauprez — who lost badly in a 2006 gubernatorial race with Bill Ritter — said he has learned from his mistakes in that “very difficult” campaign. Gessler was asked whether a cloudy ethics image would be a barrier in the campaign. He was found to have violated ethics laws by the state’s ethics commission for using state money to attend a Republican event in 2012. Gessler said the ethics commission is unethical itself. “We have a corrupt ethics commission in the state of Colorado,” Gessler said. “It is controlled and dominated and run by Hickenlooper re-election supporters who are personally financially interested in seeing him re-elected.”
WHAT'S HAPPENING NEAR YOU?
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Franktown
Lone Tree
Highlands Ranch
Sunday Worship 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. Trinity Lutheran School & ELC (Ages 3-5, Grades K-8)
303-841-4660 www.tlcas.org Castle Rock First United
Non-Denominational “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher…You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” (C.S. Lewis)
Beginning March 9th: “Jesus–The Son of God”
Sunday mornings at Immanuel Lutheran Serving the southeast Denver 9:30 a.m. Sundays area Tree, CO Lone Tree Civic Center, 8527 Lone Tree Parkway, Lone
www.ImmanuelLutheran–LoneTree.org
Littleton
Services: Saturday 5:30pm
Sunday 8am, 9:30am, 11am Sunday School 9:15am
Little Blessings Day Care www.littleblessingspdo.com
2121 Dad Clark Drive • 720.259.2390 • www.HFCdenver.org
Weaving Truth and Relevance into Relationships and Life
worship Time 10:30AM sundays
Congregation Beth Shalom Serving the Southeast Denver area
Call or check our website for information on services and social events! www.cbsdenver.org
303-794-6643
Highlands Ranch
Highlands 303 798 6387 Church of God
Cowboy Church First Presbyterian Church
Parker
Sunday Worship
8:00 am Chapel Service 9:00 & 10:30 am Sanctuary 10:20 am St. Andrew Wildflower
of Littleton
Line camp - Castle Rock Sundays 10 am DC Fairgrounds – Kirk Hall www.savethecowboy.com
Meeting Sun at 11am at Northridge Rec Center 8801 S. Broadway Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 email: bobandtreva@yahoo.com
8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
An Evangelical Presbyterian Church
1609 W. Littleton Blvd. (303) 798-1389 • www.fpcl.org
Sunday Worship 10:30 4825 North Crowfoot Valley Rd. Castle Rock • canyonscc.org 303-663-5751
Lone Tree
A place for you
Lone Tree
Church of Christ Sunday Worship - 10:00am Bible Study immediately following Thursday Bible Study - 7:30pm Currently meeting at: Acres Green Elementary School 13524 Acres Green Drive 303-688-9506 www.LoneTreeCoC.com
Sunday Worship: 10:45AM & 6PM Bible Study: 9:30AM Children, Young People & Adults
www.st-andrew-umc.com
www.parkerbiblechurch.org
9203 S. University Blvd. Highlands Ranch, 80126
Sunday Worship
8:45 am & 10:30 am 9030 Miller road Parker, Co 80138 303-841-2125 www.pepc.org
United Church Of Christ Parker Hilltop 10926 E. Democrat Rd.
Phone: 303-910-6017
Sunday
Where people are excited about God’s Word.
Sunday School 9:00 & 10:30 am
303-794-2683 Preschool: 303-794-0510
Parker evangelical Presbyterian church Connect – Grow – Serve
4391 E Mainstreet, Parker, Colorado 80134 Church Office – (303) 841-3836
www.gracepointcc.us
with Kevin Weatherby
Weekly children’s classes, devotions and study DouglasCountyAssembly@gmail.com 303.947.7540
Sunday, June 1st @ 9 a.m. Biff Gore of NBC’s “The Voice”
Open and Affirming Welcome Home!
The Bahá’í Faith
“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”
Special Mini-Concert
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
9:00am Spiritual Formation Classes for all Ages 90 east orchard road littleton, co
“Loving God - Making A Difference”
Pastor Paul Flannery “It’s not about us... It’s about serving others... T hen God gets the Glory!”
Greenwood Village
Methodist Church 1200 South Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 303.688.3047 www.fumccr.org
Parker
9:00 am Sunday WorShip
Trinity Lutheran Church & School
Highlands Ranch
Abiding Word Lutheran Church 8391 S. Burnley Ct., Highlands Ranch
(Next to RTD lot @470 & University)
Worship Services Sundays at 9:00am
303-791-3315
pastor@awlc.org www.awlc.org
Parker, CO • 10am Worship www.uccparkerhilltop.org 303-841-2808
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN Alongside One Another On Life’s Journey
www.gracecolorado.com
You are invited to worship with us:
Sundays at 10:00 am
Grace is on the NE Corner of Santa Fe Dr. & Highlands Ranch Pkwy. (Across from Murdochs)
303-798-8485
SErviCES:
Saturday 5:30pm
Sunday 8:00 & 10:30am
Education Hour: Sunday 9:15am Joyful Mission Preschool 303-841-3770 7051 East Parker Hills Ct. • Parker, CO 303-841-3739 www.joylutheran-parker.org Parker
Community Church of Religious Science Sunday 10:00 a.m. at the historic Ruth Memorial Chapel on Mainstreet
303.805.9890 www.ParkerCCRS.org
To advertise your place of worship in this section, call 303-566-4091 or email kearhart@ColoradoCommunityMedia.com.
5
Elbert County News 5
May 1, 2014
Injured service dog rescued Car crash results in Tango being medically retired By Tom Munds
tmunds@coloradocommunitymedia.com Freedom Service Dog graduate Tango suffered life-threatening injuries in a rollover vehicle accident in March but, with tender care and a lot of love, the dog is taking baby steps along the long road to recovery. “I love every dog I train but Tango always had a special place in my heart because he was one of the first dogs I trained,” said Freedom Service Dog trainer Bri Ore. “When I learned he survived the crash and the extent of his injuries, I made the trip to Albuquerque (N.M.) to get him and bring him back here where we can love him and do all we can to help him fully recover.” Tango now spends most of his days at the Englewood Freedom Service Dogs headquarters. The Golden Retriever mix shows the result of the injuries and struggles to stand still, because his pelvis was broken in several places. A special harness attached to his hindquarters enables the trainer to help the dog stand and move. The injury resulted in Tango not yet being able to use his right hind leg or wag his tail. But he likes attention and lets you know by leaning toward you and kissing your hand when you scratch his ears. Ore, a Centennial resident, takes Tango home with her at night and on the weekends. She said Tango gets along well with her two dogs and she feels her dogs help motivate Tango to move around more. “I bond with the dogs I train and I feel
a lifetime commitment to them so there was no hesitation to go get Tango when he needed our help,” Ore said. “It hurt me to see Tango so badly injured. But he is a fighter and is making small steps toward recovery. He can now get up on his own, something he couldn’t do when we brought him back. “He can stand but doesn’t have a lot of endurance and usually needs help to move around very much. He attends physical therapy and we can see small improvements.” Stacy Candella, of Freedom Service Dogs, said Tango, who graduated from the program in 2010, had been living in New Mexico with a veteran. “In the accident, the veteran’s car rolled, Tango was thrown out of the vehicle and landed about 50 feet from the crash,” she said. “The driver suffered only minor injuries so the responders went to work to try to save Tango.” The dog was rushed to Albuquerque Veterinary Animal Hospital and Referral Center. In addition to the pelvic fractures, Tango was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and needed three surgeries immediately, Candella said. The Englewood organization made the decision to pick up the tab. So far, the bills have totaled $20,000 and the organization has received about $12,000 in donations to go toward them. Freedom Service Dogs, established in 1987 to train dogs to provide assistance to people with handicaps, has placed more than 200 dogs with clients since it was founded. All dogs entering FSD training are rescued from shelters. About half the dogs successfully complete the training, but no dog is returned to an animal shelter for not
Freedom Service Dog trainer Bri Ore scatches Tango’s ears. Tango is battling back from life-threatening injuries suffered in a car crash. Photo by Tom Munds successfully completing the class because FSD will locate homes for them. The training takes a little more than a year and each training program is unique because each dog is trained to perform services for a specific client such as turning on lights, opening doors and picking up items
First regulations proposed for e-cigarettes Products sparking questions from officials By Michael Felberbaum Associated Press
The U.S. government wants to ban sales of electronic cigarettes to minors and require approval for new products and health warning labels. While the proposal being issued April 24 by the Food and Drug Administration will not immediately mean changes for the popular devices, the move is aimed at eventually taming the fast-growing e-cigarette industry. The agency said the proposal sets a foundation for regulating the products but the rules don’t immediately ban the wide array of flavors of e-cigarettes, curb marketing on places like TV or set product standards. Any further rules “will have to be grounded in our growing body of knowledge and understanding about the use of e-cigarettes and their potential health risks or public health benefits,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said. Members of Congress and public health groups have raised concerns over e-cigarettes and questioned their marketing tactics. “When finalized (the proposal) would result in significant public health benefits, including through reducing sales to youth, helping to correct consumer misperceptions, preventing misleading health claims and preventing new products from entering the market without scientific review by FDA,” said Mitch Zeller, the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. Also last week, the FDA proposed extending its authority to regulate cigars, hookah, nicotine gels, pipe tobacco and dissolvable tobacco products. Public health advocates said the FDA proposal is a critical step in reining in marketing of the new products. But they also said it comes after an “inexcusably long delay,” pointing out that the FDA first announced its plans to regulate e-cigarettes in April 2011. “It is inexcusable that it has taken the FDA and the Administration so long to act. This delay has had serious public health consequences as these unregulated tobacco products have been marketed using tactics and sweet flavors that appeal to kids,” the Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids said in a statement. Once the new rules are finalized, the agency could propose more restrictions on e-cigarettes. Officials didn’t provide a timetable for that action. “The devil will be in the details of future regulatory decisions,” said Jeff Stier, senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank in Washington. “If the regulations are too heavy-handed, they’ll have the deadly effect of preventing smokers from quitting by switching to these dramatically less harmful alternatives.” The FDA said the public, members of the industry and others will have 75 days to comment on the proposal. The agency will evaluate those comments before issuing a fi-
nal rule but there’s no timetable for when that will happen. The regulations will be a step in a long process that many believe will ultimately end up being challenged in court. E-cigarettes are plastic or metal tubes, usually the size of a cigarette, that heat a liquid nicotine solution instead of burning tobacco. That creates vapor that users inhale. Smokers like e-cigarettes because the nicotine-infused vapor looks like smoke but doesn’t contain the thousands of chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes. Some smokers use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking tobacco, or to cut down. However, there’s not much scientific evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers quit or smoke less, and it’s unclear how safe they are. The industry started on the Internet and at shoppingmall kiosks and has rocketed from thousands of users in 2006 to several million worldwide who can choose from more than 200 brands. Sales are estimated to have reached nearly $2 billion in 2013. Tobacco company executives have noted that they are eating into traditional cigarette sales, and their companies have jumped into the business. Some believe lightly regulating electronic cigarettes might actually be better for public health overall, if smokers switch and e-cigarettes really are safer. Others are raising alarms about the hazards of the products and a litany of questions about whether e-cigarettes will keep smokers addicted or encourage others to start using ecigarettes, and even eventually tobacco products.
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off the floor. The organization is located at 2000 W. Union Ave. in Englewood. The facility includes exercise areas for the dogs as well as a dog training area constructed like an apartment complete with appliances and furniture.
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6-Opinion
6 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
opinions / yours and ours
Long session makes for short fuses The most uttered words during any legislative session could be “bill” and “vote.” But, lately, one could make the case for other four-letter words that have bounced around the Capitol — ones that would make Quentin Tarantino blush. The session is winding down, but some lawmakers seem to be wound awfully tight. Over the last couple of weeks, tempers have flared and emotions have gotten the better of our grown men and women who create our laws. Here are a few recent examples: Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker, hurled an expletive toward fellow Republican Rep. Kevin Priola of Henderson on the House floor over his role in a vote on an education bill. That confrontation preceded a vote by Republicans to oust Priola as party whip, a position from which he would resign days later. Rep. Mark Waller, a Colorado Springs Republican who is running for attorney general, barked the same expletive toward Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, after Pabon made a joke on the House floor about Waller’s delegate vote count at the recent GOP state assembly — Waller barely earned a spot on the Republican primary ballot that day. And it’s not just “Men Behaving Badly.” Reps. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, and Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, have been on each other’s throats more than their Adam’s apples. Clearly, something’s in the water at the Capitol these days.
“It is unfortunate. I wish we could all get along,” said House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, doing his best Rodney King impersonation. “I think that sometimes there’s a joke that this is high school at the Capitol. Sometimes, it feels like junior high.” Junior high? It’s been more like watching the best of “The Jerry Springer Show,” sans a hooting audience egging on the behavior — well, except for the press of course. Holbert acknowledged that his comments made to Priola on the House floor recently were made out of frustration. He was upset that Priola, who was House minority whip at the time, did not support a Republican amendment to the Student Success Act, a K-12 funding measure. The amendment had to do with how schools provide transparency over financial figures. Instead, Priola voted for a competing and prevailing Democratic amendment and, seeing as how he didn’t vote for the GOP version, he did not whip up votes for the failed effort.
letter to the editor legalized pot a disaster for Colorado Recently, a college student, after purchasing and eating pot cookies, started shaking violently, and then jumped to his death from a Denver hotel room. A local man ate pot-laced candy, started hallucinating, and allegedly shot his wife to death. According to the Wall Street Journal, in recent years Denver area pot-related emergency room visits have more than tripled to 3,871. We even have the sad spectacle of Greeley fourth-graders dealing pot at school. How did the great state of Colorado sink to such a low level when even New Jersey governor Chris Christie has figured out that legalized pot is bad news?
Tragically, voters passed Amendment 64, which makes pot legal in Colorado. But, perhaps this could change as Coloradans see this nightmare continue to unfold. A new amendment could be placed on the ballot to reverse Amendment 64. Perhaps the Colorado state government could propose legislation to over turn this dangerous policy, although that is unlikely with Democrat control of the Colorado senate, house, and governorship. In any event, our state needs to take steps to reverse the tragic consequences of legalized pot. Colorado doesn’t need more suicides and murders. Charles Newton Highlands Ranch
Wishing that some old ways would BRB Social media has created an environment and culture of fun, intrigue, gossip, slander, adventure, mystery and more. It is almost a “no rules apply” phenomenon where whatever we say or do can be posted or “hash-tagged” within seconds. Just keeping up with the acronyms is hard enough. Over the years and having raised teenage children through the cell phone/smart phone era and having managed some folks that would fall into the Generation Y category, I thought that I had at least a grasp on what they were saying via text or on sites such as Facebook. Things like LOL, ROFL, TTYL, BRB, and hundreds more. Recently I became aware of TBT, or Throw Back Thursday. I became aware of TBT because someone had shared a picture of me on Facebook from 34 years ago. And thanks to everyone for the “likes” of “comments” on Facebook, your kindness and sarcasm were both greatly appreciated. It is a picture of me at my high school prom or junior cotillion. As I looked at the picture I was immediately transported back in time to the days of my youth, the friends that I kept, the dreams that I had, and as I reflected on each I was quickly reminded of this fact, that was then and this is now. No one could have predicted the future and what would happen in the world, let alone in our small circle of friends that we
Holbert expressed his displeasure by walking up to Priola and hurling a comment that begins with the sixth letter in the alphabet. “Tensions were probably running a little higher than normal,” Holbert said. But high tensions are the norm when it comes to the epic Duran and Gerou rivalry. Duran is the chairwoman of the allimportant Joint Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Gerou serves on the same committees. Those committee hearings really should have been held inside steel cages this year. The two really got into it during an April 2 hearing, where you could have played a drinking game based on the number of times that Duran used her chairwoman’s gavel. Things got ugly after Gerou suggested to a lawmaker that they “make a deal” over funding for bills they were carrying. Gerou later said she was kidding. Duran took Gerou as suggesting “quid pro quo” over legislation, which is a no-no. Gerou was not happy with Duran’s interpretation of her comments and let her know it. “There’s nothing that I said that was quid pro quo,” Gerou said angrily. “And if you are imputing my nature, my ethics, madam chair, I object!” Later that day, Duran said Gerou “hasn’t acted like a state representative” this legislative session and said her conduct has been unprofessional all year. Not to be outdone, Gerou said Duran
No wonder I am out of whack: I listened to Top 40 radio. I had no choice. We had no choices. WSAI in Cincinnati, and hundreds of AM stations across the country, played 40 songs a week, in constant rotation. It is kind of unbelievable now, because we have many, many choices. I have an AirPort, so I can listen to my CDs, Internet channels and iTunes stations upstairs and downstairs, and never hear the same song twice in one week. There are songs and performances on YouTube. It’s wonderful. But in the early and mid-’60s, we had one choice, and that was Top 40. Of course, you could have a record collection, and I had an IHOP-high stack of 45s. They were about a dollar each. Up until recently you could download a song for 99 cents on iTunes. The playlists were completely nuts, surreal. You would hear something erotic and
9137 Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Norton continues on Page 7
Vic Vela covers the Legislature for Colorado Community Media. He can be reached at vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Or, follow him on Twitter: @VicVela1.
Stuck in a groove because of Top 40
ELBERT COUNTY NEWS
grew up with. The lens that we viewed life through at the time was based on the information we had, the communications we received, and the interaction we had with one another. Storytelling even in the 1970s and 1980s was alive and well, just as it was hundreds and thousands of years ago. I loved hearing my grandfather tell stories of our family’s past or an aunt or uncle of a friend share their life stories. Technology has given us many advantages, it has certainly made many things much easier, and access to information has never been faster. But as I looked back on that picture from 34 years ago, I am a bit saddened by what technology may also be depriving us of. That was then and this is now, I get that, but when I watch how my children interact with others, as I go to the gym and look around at everyone plugged into their own iPod and ear buds, there
is “young enough to be my daughter” and that she doesn’t quite understand the rules involved with chairing a committee. Mr. Speaker, what’s up with your members getting all Rowdy Roddy Piper on one another? “I think during the end of session, nerves and tempers get short,” Ferrandino said. “There’s no secret that there’s no love lost between Rep. Duran and Rep Gerou.” I suggested to Ferrandino that it would be quite entertaining to see the creation of a reality TV show called “Crisanta and Cheri” — two women who can’t stand each other, forced to live together in a city apartment, or a deserted island. The speaker said he would “neither confirm or deny that has been kicked around” as a possible skit that is part of the legislature’s end-of-the-year “Hummers” event, where lawmakers roast one another. Look, far be it from me to criticize bad behavior — after all, my cross streets are Sodom Avenue and Gomorrah Boulevard. Believe it or not, politicians are humans who sometimes say or do things they regret. It’ll be interesting to see if things settle down the rest of the session — although, I won’t be holding my breath. Gotta run, now. “Crisanta and Cheri” is on TV.
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visceral like “Satisfaction” by the Stones, then three commercials, then “Dominique” by The Singing Nun. Back to back I would hear a great Carole King song by the Shirelles, and “See the Funny Little Clown,” by Bobby Goldsboro. Bobby sang one disturbing hit after another. Remember “Watching Scotty Grow”? Smith continues on Page 7
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7-Color
Elbert County News 7
May 1, 2014
World of homeless youths hits home From the apartment balcony, in the hours just past midnight, he could see beams of light from patrol cars cutting through the blackness in the grassy area near Denver Skate Park. Cops looking for the homeless, he guessed. A few hours later, as the day began to awaken, Nick Santulli, 18, and his two companions left their friend’s apartment to burn some time near downtown Denver before heading back to their suburban Castle Rock homes. A young man and his friends, their shirts stained with dirt, bulging backpacks on their shoulders, passed them on the sidewalk. “You guys want to come get some breakfast?” the young man asked. Without hesitation, a curious Nick said OK. A chance encounter. A risk taken. A turning point. The simple yes would build a bridge between two vastly different worlds and, in the end, make a difference in both. “It was the defining moment of my senior year,” Nick said. “It’s not necessarily changed my life, but it’s altered my life and how I see things and the kind of direction in which I want to live my life.” ••• On that early July morning, they caught a bus, then the light rail. A 30-minute trip to a brick building near the 16th Street Mall. A line of young people waited to step inside, where another 100 or so ate breakfast burritos in the kitchen or clustered in the lobby, seeking the simple comforts of food, sanctuary and fellowship. The sight of so many girls and boys in their teens and early 20s without a place to call home or a family to care for them struck Nick hard. As he sat at a table and ate, he asked questions and listened. Intently. A boy told him how he and his mother, although she was no longer in his life, had been on and off the streets for most of his 17 years. Another young man recounted how he’d jumped from foster home to foster home, from friend’s couch to friend’s
Smith Continued from Page 6
Goldsboro, 73, is a painter now. The Top 40 would penetrate your life, and those songs still do. They are used over and over in films, and often wind up being film titles. Here are a few: “Stand By Me,” “Sixteen Candles,” “My Girl,” “Pretty Woman,” “Ode to Billie Joe,” “Blue Velvet,” “Corrina, Corrina,” “Sea of Love,” “La Bamba” and “Walk the Line.” The film “Stand by Me” was based on a novella by Stephen King. The song “Stand by Me” was recorded by the great Ben E. King, who was once the lead singer of the Drifters. I loved the Drifters. “When this old world starts getting me down, and people are just too much for me to face.” That’s the way “Up On the Roof” begins. It was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. King’s musical contributions are extraordinary. Some of her songs include, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”, “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Some Kind of Wonderful” “The LocoMotion,” “Crying in the Rain,” “Chains,” “One Fine Day,” “I’m Into Something Good,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” Later she became a zillion-selling record-
Norton Continued from Page 6
is something wrong and missing. Human interaction and conversation seems to have given way to texting and postings. Am I being nostalgic or melancholy for days gone by? Maybe? Probably. Definitely. Now I am a fan of Facebook, Skype, FaceTime, and other technologies that allow me to reconnect with family and friends, co-workers and people and clients from all over the world in a virtual environment. I am grateful to be able to still see my kids
couch, finally, to the street. It was, Nick thought, the tales of heartrending movies and songs. When he returned home later that day, just 30 miles south yet so very far away, he brought their stories with him. “You wouldn’t guess where I ate breakfast this morning,” Nick said to his mom. “A homeless shelter.” ••• Urban Peak. It is the only nonprofit that offers a full convergence of services to homeless youths in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas. Last year, it helped 1,700 youths from 15 through 24 years of age, providing food, clothing, GED instruction and a multitude of other educational, mental health and job services. Its drop-in center is always busy, its 40-bed shelter usually full. A 2013 Denver-area survey found 921 youths on the streets. They are there for all kinds of reasons: physical, sexual and emotional abuse; parents who sell them for drugs and alcohol; mental illness. Some, at 18, have aged out of the foster care system. Others have been kicked out of homes because of their sexual orientation. The tragedies are staggering. As Dan Hanley, director of development and public affairs, recently said: “We are the voice of the 1,700 youth who don’t have one.” ••• In August, just after the start of the new school year, Nick — a passionate musician and shy transplant from Texas who favors shoulder-length hair and cowboy boots — sat in a circle of students on the floor
ing artist herself. You would hear something seductive by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and they would follow it with “Big Bad John.” That was Jimmy Dean’s biggest hit, and long before he started selling sausages. AM radio began to break apart in the late ‘60s, fortunately, but it would be years before MTV, iTunes and YouTube. I had hundreds of LPs, alphabetized (See: “High Fidelity”). They’re all gone except “Meet the Beatles” and a rare album by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Were the Beatles named after the Crickets? AM and FM radio ratings have been in a steady decline. We have too many other options. I have listened to KBCO ever since I moved here in 1977, but I wince every time they play “Landslide.” I think they play it every day. I wanted to be a DJ. I wanted to have a late-night program that had a theme every night. I have a voice - and a face - for radio. Some of those Top 40 songs still get to me. “Tonight you’re mine completely, you give your love so sweetly, tonight the light of love is in your eyes, but will you love me tomorrow?” Yes. Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net.
and loved ones when I am traveling either through a FaceTime chat or through the exchanges of pictures, and yes kids, even my selfies. That was then and this is now. How about you — what do you miss most or enjoy most about where we were then and where we are today? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can bring the good things from our past into our future, it really will be a better than good week. Michael Norton is a resident of Highlands Ranch, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corporation and the CEO/founder of www.candogo.com.
of his newsmagazine classroom at Castle View High School, sharing highlights from the summer. As he quietly described his encounter with the homeless, the staff became intrigued. The story inspired a theme for the first issue — “Going Outside the CVHS Bubble” — with Nick writing the main story about homeless teens. He reached out to Urban Peak, toured the facility, learned about its services. He later explored the grassy space near Denver Skate Park and the 16th Street Mall to find homeless youths to interview. “It was really hard to approach them,” Nick remembered. “I mean, I’m going to high school in Castle Rock and they’re on the streets in Denver.” He returned to Denver three times for more interviews to make sure he understood how to tell their stories. “It was weird at first,” Nick said of walking up to strangers to ask such personal questions. But “I would call it a pivotal moment in my life.” ••• On April 14, the school kicked off Make a Difference Week. More than 1,800 students crowded onto the gym bleachers. A selection process had winnowed about 10 charities and nonprofit organizations to three finalists, including Urban Peak, nominated by the newsmagazine staff. Students overwhelmingly voted it the recipient of this year’s fundraising efforts. The goal: $15,000, a few thousand more than needed to keep Urban Peak open for a day. “We want to turn this outside of our walls for one week,” student government adviser Bob Sutterer said to the students. “These are people just like you who are also talented, who also have great energy, who need a little bit of help.” Charlie Annerino, a representative from Urban Peak, walked to the middle of the floor. “A lot of times, they (homeless youths) feel like they don’t have any support,” he told the young audience. “Just looking around at this gym, that’s not true
at all. … It is so powerful to see people your age care about this issue and be passionate about doing something.” Mid-week, Annerino, Hanley and three others from the organization spent the day talking to 33 classes about the issue of youth homelessness. By the end of the week, students had raised $12,168. “It’s remarkable,” said Chris Weiss, Urban Peak’s development manager. “Castle Rock is 30 miles away from the epicenter of homelessness. To raise $12,000 for us is remarkable.” ••• In less than a month, Nick graduates. He is headed to college and a life, he hopes, where he has the opportunity to help others. It is an ambition nurtured by what evolved from a chance encounter with some homeless youths one early summer morning. “I didn’t imagine it would have been the major direction of my senior year,” he said. “If I hadn’t have done that article and done MAD Week, I probably wouldn’t have stayed on track as much. It kept me kind of headed straight, I guess.” Urban Peak, for its part, never imagined the kindness that would surge from a suburban high school in a community so removed from the everyday struggles of the discarded youths it serves. The connection, Weiss said, makes this world a better place. Nick wants to do more at Urban Peak in the coming year. “I’d really like to work in the kitchen,” he said. Where he first saw the reality of wounded humanity. And where this unfinished story of compassion began. Ann Macari Healey’s column about people, places and issues of everyday life appears every other week. Her column earned first place in the 2013 Colorado Press Association Better Newspaper contest. She can be reached at ahealey@coloradocommunitymedia.com or 303-5664110.
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8-Color
8 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
Vaccination bill should sting a bit less Senate passes watered-down effort to bolster immunization rates By By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com For those who were adamantly opposed to a bill that would require parents to be better educated about child vaccinations, the possible final version of the legislation shouldn’t hurt a bit. What began as legislation aimed at increasing vaccination rates in Colorado wound up being a record-keeping access bill, with the state Senate on April 23 instead passing a watered-down version of an immunization awareness bill. The original version of House Bill 1288 would have required parents of school children to become better educated about the value of immunization before opting their kids out of vaccinations for personal or reli-
gious beliefs. Numerous changes were made before the bill made it to the Senate floor. Supporters say the bill still creates good policy because it allows parents to see vaccination records at schools and day care centers, to see how many children have received vaccinations for preventable illnesses like measles or whooping cough. That could be important information to a parent of a child with a weakened immune system. That child may not be able to receive vaccinations and would be particularly susceptible to illnesses carried by other students whose parents opted them out of receiving immunizations. “This is really a service to medically fragile children,” said state Sen. Irene Aguilar, DDenver, a bill sponsor. Bill supporters said that by schools being required to have immunization data available to the public, parents will be able to make better decisions as to where they send
their kids to school. “This bill will have an impact on the (immunization) rates and will be able to protect children from vaccine preventable childhood diseases,” said Sen. Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk. But the bill has fewer teeth than when it was introduced in the House in February. The original bill would have required parents who want to opt their children out of being vaccinated to first consult with a doctor about the benefits and risks of immunization. It would also have required an optout child to watch an online video having to do with immunization benefits and risks. The original legislation received bipartisan support in the House, passing that chamber on a vote of 42-19. But after the requirements that were part of the House bill were stripped away by the Senate, Aguilar said she did not have the support to get the original bill through the Senate.
Many Republicans like Sen. Owen Hill of Colorado Springs, still opposed the bill, even after it had been stripped of much of the original language that concerned GOP members. Hill said that it’s not the government’s business to dictate to parents that their children should receive vaccinations that are “unscientifically proven.” “I am concerned that we’re setting a dangerous precedent here that somehow we know what’s best; that somehow we in this room can determine what parents should and shouldn’t be doing,” Hill said. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 19-16, with just one Republican — Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango — voting with all Democrats. Aguilar assured Republicans that she would not agree to the original requirements making their way back on to the bill, through work of a post-passage conference committee.
Senior tax relief bill advances Measure would also assist widows of military veterans By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com
s
A bill aimed at providing seniors with property tax relief is moving through the Legislature. Under the bill, widows of military veterans and seniors who lose homes as a result of natural disasters would benefit from tax exemptions. It is a bipartisan effort that Rep. Steve Lebsock, D-Thornton, said, “is one of my favorite bills that I’ve sponsored. … It’s going to make a big difference for folks.” House Bill 1373 makes changes to the state’s Homestead Exemption, where qualifying seniors are exempt from hav-
ing to pay a portion of their property taxes. Lebsock said the bill addresses two inequities in the program. Right now, seniors whose homes are destroyed by natural disasters, and who then move out of the flood plain, do not qualify for the tax relief. The bill would change that, so that seniors who are impacted by floods or wildfires are not left with an even bigger financial burden, just because they move. The bill also allows a surviving spouse of a fully disabled veteran who dies to also benefit from the tax exemption. Under current law, the exemption applies only to veterans who are living in their homes, but not the spouses who take over the property when the veteran dies. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support on April 21. It now heads to the Senate.
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9-Color
Elbert County News 9
May 1, 2014
Board of education update By Michele McCarron
Special to Colorado Community Media The Elizabeth School District Board of Education held a meeting on April 14. Here are some highlights:
Education showcase
Principal Rob McMullen gave an update on Frontier High School. This year FHS focused on curriculum with technology, student portfolios, the road to graduation and post-secondary work force readiness. There was also an emphasis with their students on Pride at Frontier where they look to students to make a positive contribution to the Frontier Family. Experiential learning is also a focus at Frontier. Teacher John Collings presented a proposal to the board for an experiential trip next year, Kayaking with the Orcas. This will be a 10-day trip with several stops including Mt. Saint Helens and camping in Twin Falls, Idaho. The staff incorporates science, history, and language arts in the experiential trips. May 30 is the FHS graduation.
Costa Rica
Heather Witten shared an overview of the student Spanish trip to Costa Rica. The students visited waterfalls, did lots of swimming with various sea life, saw some very exotic animals including monkeys and iguanas. They planted a tree, visited a one-room schoolhouse, visited national parks and had the opportunity to practice their Spanish.
Heads up Colorado
Amie Hare from Heads Up Colorado shared their Youth Mentoring Program. The purpose of Head Up Colorado is to mentor youths through their 1-to-1 mentor services and their team mentor program. Heads Up Colorado focuses on kids in grade 7-12. Recently, Head Up Colorado hosted a Teen Job Fair where over 100 teens attended and received assistance with resume writing and job applications.
Financial report
Chief Financial Officer Ron Patera and Superintendent Douglas Bissonette have been meeting with staff members at each of the schools to discuss the ongoing budget challenges. They shared with the staff the continuing difficulty with the district’s budget due to the decline in state funding and the increase of utilities, health insurance costs, including the consequences of affordable care act, and our increasing obligations of the PERA match. Some of the budget balancing ideas that were discussed with the staff included the possibility of increasing fees for
athletic participation. The fees for athletic participation have remained static since 2005, but the cost of league fees, coach’s benefits, and referees have gradually gone up while fees have remained the same and the general fund subsidy has gone up. The general fund can no longer absorb these increases so the district is more than likely going to raise the athletic fees at both EMS and EHS. Another fee increase being discussed is the technology fee. To meet the ever-increasing technology demands on today’s schools, we must attempt to stay current with the changes in hardware and software. Additionally, with additional testing requirements imposed by the state, the district is obligated to be compliant with the rigid technological demands of these tests. A reduction in staff positions was also discussed due to the decline in enrollment. Mr. Patera mentioned that most staff reductions can be achieved through normal attrition, such as resignations and retirement. The Elizabeth Schools Board of Education, superintendent and chief financial officer will be hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the financial state of the district with the community. The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. May 12 at Elizabeth High School.
Data Pipeline presentation
Shellie Scobee, District Data Specialist, presented to the board CDE’s Data Pipeline, which is an ongoing continuous flow of data from school districts to CDE. The Elizabeth Board of Education has growing concerns about the increasing volume of data CDE is collecting, and even greater concerns about the nature of the data being required, especially specific student information. The Department of Education’s Education Data Advisory Committee is the committee that reviews state data requests prior to collection from districts. EDAC consists of representatives from school districts, BOCES, and CDE appointed by the State Board of Education, to review data demands placed on Colorado public education. EDAC will notify districts if the data submission is optional or mandatory based on state or federal statute.
Superintendent report
Superintendent Bissonette discussed a polling/survey project that is underway to community members. The district is planning to use a professional polling firm to connect with local citizens with the objective to better understand the community and their values as it relates to education at Elizabeth Schools. Bissonette explained that a decline in enrollment next year is anticipated due to the large outgoing graduating class and
LONE TREE BREAST CENTER Grand Opening Lone Tree Health Center cordially invites you to celebrate our new state-of-the-art Breast Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. Thursday, May 1, 2014 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 6:15 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting and Remarks Join us for a tour of our new facility and learn about our many offerings: 3D mammography, breast diagnostics including breast ultrasound, stereotactic and ultrasound core biopsy, breast MRI and MRI guided biopsy. We also house a full spectrum of provider services from a dedicated Breast Surgery practice, Breast Reconstructive Surgeon, Oncologist, Genetic Counselors, and Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Our convenient location in the South Metro area provides patients easy access to the highest-level of breast care services in the region. We are affiliated with University of Colorado Cancer Center; Colorado’s only NCI-designated cancer program. Please RSVP to Amy Hurley at 720-553-1127 or email amy.hurley@uchealth.org to reserve your spot. Address: Lone Tree Breast Center 9544 Park Meadows Drive, Ste. 100 Lone Tree, CO 80124 See back of invitation for map and directions
the small size of the incoming kindergarten class. The district recently mailed a post card to the local and surrounding areas, offering open enrollment and welcoming new students to our district. On May 1, each school will have an open house with the principal for those out-of-district families or other families in the district to learn more about Elizabeth Schools. Bissonette signed a letter along with over 100 other superintendents across Colorado. The letter was sent to the Governor’s Office and to the General Assembly stating, “As the school finance debate moves from the House to the Senate and inevitably into Conference Committee, we urge you to do everything you can to begin restoring K-12 funding to pre-recession levels, to save the BEST program to support the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Colorado’s school infrastructure, and to give local boards of education as much flexibility as possible so that they may allocate funding in a way that will serve all students’ needs.” You may read the full letter on the superintendent page of the district website.
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South MetroLIFE 10-Life-Color
10 Elbert County News May 1, 2014
Franktown resident Dr. Earl Voight, 76, and his grandson, Jeremiah Watson, 21, hike through Lincoln Mountain Open Space in southeastern Douglas County April 21. At the age of 10 Watson became the youngest American to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Lone Tree center gets the ‘Big Band Blues’
Men of the
MOUNTAIN
Franktown resident shows grandson the ropes, world
Summer camps scheduled
Cherokee Ranch and Castle will offer three weeklong Youth Science and Nature Summer Camps, held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 2-6, June 16-20 and July 2125. Reservations: $300 per camper (limit 20 per week). How many summer camps boast a real castle and enchanted forest? Cherokeeranch.org, 303-688-4600.
Birds and more
By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz @coloradocommunitymedia.com Earl Voight is a man who sets his course and goes. He was only 13 years old when he decided to one day become an optometrist and move to Colorado. Sixty-three years later, he’s still making plans, but these days, they don’t revolve around his distinguished career. Instead, he plots other paths, ones that take him above the clouds. Voight’s grandson, Jeremiah Watson, 21, usually isn’t far behind when Voight tackles the world’s most challenging peaks. In fact, Watson became somewhat of a sensation when, at the age of 10, he became the youngest American to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. The family can add another distinction to the list after the pair’s most recent excursion to Patagonia. It wasn’t until they were already attempting the Torres del Paine circuit, a grueling, 81-mile hike that takes them through the dramatic peaks of a national park in Chile, that Voight found out he was about to become the oldest person ever to complete the nine-day trek. At the age of 76, Voight doesn’t give much thought to slowing down. He still works full-time at his optometry practices in Parker and Centennial, where his partners graciously fill in during his numerous out of-office moments. He has already climbed all of Colorado’s 14,000foot mountains several times over, and is now working his way down the list of 13ers (he has 90 remaining). “I just love to be up high,” he says. It’s the lack of a second thought that has taken Voight and Watson to the most breathtaking corners of the world. The decision-making process isn’t a lengthy one: it takes a quick conversation about a destination and a nonchalant “let’s do it” to create a
The Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra wraps up its successful season at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree, at 7:30 p.m. May 12 with “Big Band Blues.” The orchestra will play all forms of blues and will feature a guest vocalist. Tickets cost $20 plus a $3 ticket fee. LoneTreeArtsCenter.org, 720-509-1000.
With his 21-year-old grandson Jeremiah Watson, Dr. Earl Voight, 76, points out distant peaks from atop the Lincoln Mountain Open Space bluff April 21. The pair has climbed mountains throughout the world, most recently in Chile. binding agreement. There is considerable research into each spot, however, and the duo is always prepared. That wasn’t always the case. Voight, of Franktown, was 40 when he first began climbing and he did it on a whim with little equipment. He remembers the exact day — July 2, 1978 — when he bought a map of the Lake City, Colo., area that included a 14er. That was all it took for him to take up mountain climbing; despite living in Colorado for more than 15 years, he wasn’t even a hiker at that point. “I went this way and that way, and before I knew it, I was at the top,” he said. Aside from Voight’s wife, Watson was the first family member to take an interest in climbing, and it has resulted in a lasting partnership. Watson, who grew up in Castle Rock, was a toddler when he made a self-imposed rule that he wouldn’t climb until the age of 7. Grandpa remembered, and since the two share a birthday and the middle name Sheridan, he decided it would be fitting to ascend Mount Sheridan. Watson did the climb with ease, and they crossed a
saddle to reach the top of a neighboring 14er, Mount Sherman. “I was carrying a shirt in my pack with all of the 14ers on it and when we got there, I gave it to him and said, `Here. You earned it,’ ” Voight said. “It has the names of the peak and squares where you can check them off.” Kilimanjaro came a few years later, and when Watson graduated from high school, they climbed in Peru, conquering the Inca Trail, a four-day hike that takes climbers to Machu Picchu. In February, their excursion through the Torres del Paine circuit was everything they had hoped for: excellent weather, good company, and new terrain. At one point, they walked around a lake deep in the mountains and stumbled across a serene beach. “Every time you turn a corner, you run into something remarkable,” he said. “Just gorgeous.” Those words could easily parallel Voight’s life. And with Watson following in his footsteps, it is becoming a family tradition.
The Audubon Society of Greater Denver invites families to the Audubon Nature Center at Chatfield for a Mother’s Day Bird Banding Breakfast. Two events are scheduled, from 9 to 11 a.m. on May 10 and 11. After a light continental breakfast, take a leisurely hike to the Bird Banding Research Station, operated by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, to see songbirds up close. (It is open on Saturday mornings through June for visitors.) Fee: mothers free; adult/$15; child $8. Call 303-973-9530 for reservations. The center is at 11280 Waterton Road south of Littleton. Also noted in the May Audubon newsletter: Check out the new Chatfield Beaver Cam via the Teens4Oceans Chatfield Beaver Ecology Project Facebook page, facebook.com/ pages/Teens4Oceans-Chatfield-BeaverEcology-Project/293844624107760.
ACC holds concerts
Arapahoe Community College music students will perform three free concerts in May in the Waring Theatre (M2900). Each is at 7 p.m: • May 6 — ACC String Orchestra, directed by Rene Knetsch. • May 9 — ACC Jazz Ensemble, directed by Cecil Lewis. • May 12 — ACC Choir, directed by Ron Kientz; ACC Vocal Ensemble, directed by Mayumi Yotsumoto. For information, contact Dr. Hidemi Matsushita, hidemi.matsushita@arapahoe.edu. The college is at 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.
Young Voices show set
Young Voices of Colorado will perform its Spring Concert, “It Takes a Village,” at 4 p.m. May 4 at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver. All 200 singers will take part in a finale honoring Nelson Mandela. Tickets: newmantix.com or 303-871-7720.
Dream machines
The Colorado Custom and Vintage Bicycle Expo will be held in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Regional Camera Show at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on May 4. The fairgrounds are at 15200 W. Sixth Ave., Golden. For information, go to coloradobicycleexpo.com.
Curtis anniversary celebrated
Curtis Arts and Humanities Center will celebrate its 100th anniversary from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 3 at the Center and Curtis Park next door, 2349 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village. Admission is free, 25-cent hot dogs, 10-cent popcorn, 5-cent lemonade. 303-797-1779.
11
Elbert County News 11
May 1, 2014
‘Three G’s’ show will go, go, go
‘Light’ glows at arts center Photography show offers 62 images By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe @coloradocommunitymedia.com It almost seems that the change of name affected the entries. The Lone Tree Photo Club and Lone Tree Arts Commission changed the name of their annual photography show to “Exploring the Light,” and while light is always a major element, this collection of 62 images — chosen by juror Glenn Randall from 438 entries submitted by 150 photographers — seems to truly brighten the room. The exhibit will be in place until June 8 and we really urge readers to enjoy a visit there — whether one knows the technical niceties of cameras or not. It’s just a visual treat. And the show’s presentation is improved by observing Lone Tree curator Sally Perisho’s request that they hang 15 fewer photos than last year, to give the works more breathing space. Her installation adds to the quality of the exhibit. Randall, of Boulder, said he was freelancing in 1979, just out of college with a journalism degree, when he lost an assignment because his photos were not good enough. “I got serious,” he said. He now uses a 4X5 field camera and specializes in wilderness landscapes — mostly Colorado, some in Utah. His work has appeared widely in magazines, including National Geographic, Audubon and Sierra Club, and he has 71 credits for covers. He recently finished a new book, “Sunrise from the Summit,” which has taken the past seven years as he shot sunrise — or in a few cases, sunset — from the summit of all 54 Colorado Fourteeners. The publication date is not set yet, but will be within a year, he thinks, probably spring 2015. Randall wrote about his jurying experience. He began by looking to see that each photo fit the category in which it was entered: Landscape, Motion, Abstract, Animals. Then, he examined the technical quality: sharpness, softness, exposure … and finally he considered impact. “A fresh subject, one that we rarely see, or a new take on an old subject, won more points than a standard view of a familiar subject, no matter how spectacular it might once have seemed. The difficulty of making the shot also played in my decision.” He held a seminar for local photographers on April 26 at the Lone Tree Arts Center.
Jazz pianist to play with Lone Tree Symphony By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com
“Geminid Showers Over Double Arch” by Todd Miller of Lakewood won Best of Show in “Exploring the Light,” the 12th annual Lone Tree photo show. Courtesy photo
IF YOU GO “Exploring the Light” will be exhibited at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., through June 8. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and during performances. Sales are handled through the box office. LoneTreeArtsCenter.org or 720-509-1000.
Randall awarded the Landscape First Place/Best of Show ribbon to Todd Miller of Lakewood for his luminous “Geminid Showers Over Double Arch,” shot in Arches National Monument. He said it was between 3 and 6 a.m., after the moon had set, on Dec. 13. The temperature was 5 degrees and he knew just where to stand for the meteor shower. He writes that “this image is the combination of several images taken over a nearly three-hour period before astronomical dawn with my Canon 70 D camera on a tripod.” The result is magical.
Miller’s bio says he has enjoyed outdoor hiking and exploring since childhood and went on vacations to Colorado and Wyoming with his family, falling in love with the landscape and animals of the Mountain West. He and his wife were able to move to Colorado in 1995. “Photography has been a passion for 20 years,” he said. He will have a one-man show as a reward for his win. Watch for an announcement. Randall’s other first place awards were: Motion: “Cycles” by Fernando Boza, who also exhibits his image “Yguaza (Big Water),” which won Best of Show in Littleton’s most recent Eye of the Camera show. Abstract: “Alien” by Craig Patterson, an imaginative play on auto headlight images. Animals: “Home Schooling” by Winn Halverhout, which depicts a large male lion and a very young cub — it looks like growling lessons are going on! Very appealing and makes a viewer want to create a story
Public Notices Notice To Creditors
Notice To Creditors
Notice To Creditors
Public Notice
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Barby L. Hendricks also known as Barby Lynne Hendricks, Deceased Case Number 14 PR 30007
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Gregory Dirk Pelley, aka Gregory D. Pelley, aka Gregory Pelley, Deceased Case Number: 2014 PR 30009
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Roberta Jean Newton, aka Roberta Newton, Deceased Case Number: 2014 PR 30008
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert, County, Colorado on or before September 2, 2014, or the claims may be forever barred.
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before September 2, 2014 or the claims may be forever barred.
Deborah Sue Hunt Personal Representative c/o Peter W. Bullard Law Offices of Peter W. Bullard, P.C. 375 East Horsetooth Road, Shores 6, Suite 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80525
Tyler J. Pelley Personal Representative 16337 East Otero Avenue Englewood, Colorado 80112
Cory Cowan Personal Representative 129 Buckwall Road Rockingham, NC 28379 (910) 995-1023
Legal Notice No: 927946 First Publication: May 1, 2014 Last Publication: May 15, 2014 Publisher: Elbert County News
Legal Notice No: 927947 First Publication: May 1, 2014 Last Publication: May 15, 2014 Publisher: Elbert County News
Legal Notice No.: 927945 First Publication: May 1, 2014 Last Publication: May 15, 2014 Publisher: The Elbert County News
All persons having claims against the above-named estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Elbert County, Colorado on or before September 2, 2014 or the claims may be forever barred.
When government takes action, it uses local newspapers to notify you. Reading your public notices is the best way to find out what is happening in your community and how it affects you. If you don’t read public notices, you never know what you might miss.
Notices are meant to be noticed. Read your public notices and get involved!
Jazz pianist Dana Landry will be featured in the Lone Tree Symphony’s May 9 concert, “The Three G’s,” performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Also on the program will be Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite” and Louis Morreau Gottschalk’s “Night in the Tropics.” The orchestra is in its 14th season and is led by Lone Tree resident Jacinda Bouton. “This is an opportunity to highlight American music and in particuLandry lar, American jazz,” she said. Dana Landry is director of jazz studies and professor of music at the University of Northern Colorado. He teaches graduate courses and jazz piano, directs the UNC Jazz Band and coleads the Jazz Orchestra. He is also director IF YOU GO of the large UNC Jazz The Lone Tree SymFestival and director of phony Orchestra will the UNC Jazz Press. perform at 7:30 p.m. Landry has perMay 9 at the Lone formed with Milt JackTree Arts Center, son, Bela Fleck, Eddie 10075 Commons St., Daniels, Rufus Reid Lone Tree. Tickets and more, across the cost $12/adults and U.S. and in Europe $6/children, plus and Australia. a $3 ticket fee and He is an active are available at the classical pianist and box office, 720-509appears with the Col1000 or at LoneTreeorado Symphony Or- Public Notice ArtsCenter.org. For chestra. He has also INVITATION TO BID more information appeared with the The Board of Elbert aboutCounty the LTSO,Commissee Nashville Symphony, sioners, County of Elbert, State of Colorado, are hereby accepting sealed bid lonetreesymphony. Tennessee Philharproposal for roadway surface treatorg. monic and Stones Rivments on CR 166. er Chamber Players. The Project generally consists of chip
seal resurfacing of approximately 4 miles of Elbert County Road 166 (Singing Hills Road). Installation will GET SOCIAL WITH US take place within the County of Elbert, Colorado. Colorado Community Media wants to share the
Notices
Government Legals Public Notice PUBLIC NOTICE AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR A RESOLUTION TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO A RESTRICTED FUND TO PAY BOND SERVICE AND COMPLY WITH LOAN REQUIREMENTS The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing at 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, Colorado 80117, on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, at 9:00 am at the regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioners Meeting. The purpose of the hearing is to allow citizens to review and comment on the proposed Resolution to transfer $1,011,250.00 from the General Fund to a new restricted fund, designated as the Bond Service Fund, to be used to pay installment bond service payments as they become due. Please be further advised that the proposed Resolution is available for inspection by the public at the public office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Dallas Schroeder, by contacting Sheryl Caldwell, Deputy County Clerk and Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners, at 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, Colorado 80117. Any interested elector of Elbert County, Colorado may file any objections to the proposed Resolution at any time prior to the final adoption of the Resolution by the Board of County Commissioners. Legal Notice No.: 927948 First Publication: May 1, 2014 Last Publication: May 8, 2014 Publisher: The Elbert County News
news. Check us outBids on these social mediauntil websites: will be accepted 9:30 a.m. on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest andMay Linkedin. Search forcopies Wednesday 14, 2014. Three of said Bid should be submitted. Bids will Colorado Community Media.
not be considered which are received after the time stated and any bids so received will be returned unopened. Faxed bids or e-mailed bids will not be accepted. Bids will be opened at 10:00 a.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, on Wednesday May 14, 2014, by the Elbert County Director of Public Works, in the BOCC Meeting Room located at 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, Colorado 80117. Please mail bids to: Elbert County Public Works Office, Attn: Lynne Eschbach, P.O. Box 116, Kiowa, CO 80117, or deliver to Elbert County Public Works Department, AtTo advertise your publictn: notices 303-566-4100 Lynne call Eschbach, 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, CO 80117. Please mark the outside of envelope “Surface Treatment Project - CR 166”.
Government Legals Public Notice INVITATION TO BID
The Board of Elbert County Commissioners, County of Elbert, State of Colorado, are hereby accepting sealed bid proposal for roadway surface treatments on CR 166. The Project generally consists of chip seal resurfacing of approximately 4 miles of Elbert County Road 166 (Singing Hills Road). Installation will take place within the County of Elbert, Colorado. Bids will be accepted until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday May 14, 2014. Three copies of said Bid should be submitted. Bids will not be considered which are received after the time stated and any bids so received will be returned unopened. Faxed bids or e-mailed bids will not be accepted. Bids will be opened at 10:00 a.m., or as soon as possible thereafter, on Wednesday May 14, 2014, by the Elbert County Director of Public Works, in the BOCC Meeting Room located at 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, Colorado 80117. Please mail bids to: Elbert County Public Works Office, Attn: Lynne Eschbach, P.O. Box 116, Kiowa, CO 80117, or deliver to Elbert County Public Works Department, Attn: Lynne Eschbach, 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa, CO 80117. Please mark the outside of envelope “Surface Treatment Project - CR 166”. Elbert County Government reserves the right, as its interest may requires, to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities and informalities contained in said bids and furthermore to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of Elbert County to do so. Additionally, Elbert County reserves the right to negotiate op-
Government Legals
Elbert County Government reserves the right, as its interest may requires, to reject any and all bids, to waive formalities and informalities contained in said bids and furthermore to award a contract for items herein, either in whole or in part, if it is deemed to be in the best interest of Elbert County to do so. Additionally, Elbert County reserves the right to negotiate optional items and/or services with the successful bidder. Bid Documents will be available starting Thursday May 1, 2014 and can be obtained through Sean O’Hearn, Enertia Consulting Group, LLC, 1437 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202. Please direct any questions regarding this bid to: Sean O’Hearn, Enertia Consulting Group, LLC (720) 473-3131. ELBERT COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Ed Ehmann, Director Legal Notice No.: 927949 First Publication: May 1, 2014 Last Publication: May 1, 2014 Publisher: The Elbert County News
12
12 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
Growing up was never easy if you go
‘Spring Awakening’ brings painful past to life on stage
“Spring Awakening” plays through May 4 at Town Hall Arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Littleton. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $20-$40, 303-794-2787 ext 5; TownHallArtsCenter.com.
By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com A blocky, stepped-up wooden stage is backed by a row of bare trees. Tree shadows are painted on the stage floor. Behind the trees is a row of seats for Donna Debreceni and her five excellent musicians, who add depth and tone to the fine production of “Spring Awakening” at Town Hall Arts Center. Sensitively and skillfully directed and choreographed by Nick Sugar, “Spring Awakening,” the winner of eight Tony Awards in 2006, tells a sad coming-of-age story, based on a controversial play written in 1891 in Germany by Frank Wedenkind. Sugar comments in his director’s notes that this musical, by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, has “become the new anthems for every young actor, just as the songs from `Hair,’ `Tommy’ and `RENT’ did in generations past.” Adolescents are tightly restricted by society as their bodies discover desire, while they are kept ignorant of anything about sexual issues and how to manage them. Against a background of rigid schooling for young men, intelligent Melchior Gabor
Heather Doris plays Wendla Bergman and Casey Andree portrays Melchior Gabor in “Spring Awakening” at Town Hall Arts Center. Courtesy photo (Casey Andree) rebels and questions in and out of the schoolroom even as he memorizes and recites the required Latin verses. Distracted Moritz Stiefel (talented newcomer Jake Brasch) who asks his intellectual friend, Melchior, to write up a brief sexual manual — with illustrations — has trouble memorizing, as he deals with raging hormones.
Strict teacher Scott McClean, who plays all the adult men, is totally unsympathetic as he drills his students and singles out Moritz as one more student than the school can hold. Sweet, innocent Wendla Bergmann (Heather Doris) begs her mother to explain how babies are made, when her sister bears a new little girl — she’s sure the
stork story isn’t right. Her mother, played by Margie Lamb, who plays all the adult woman parts, can only answer “she must love her husband …” Throughout the performance, the strong cast moves in and out of the scene, precisely choreographed by Sugar and dramatically lighted by Seth Alison. Linda Morken’s costumes are especially effective and detailed, including the schoolboy suits with knickers and anklehigh boots and prim calico dresses. The play addresses a botched abortion, a girl abused by her father, an anxiety-ridden boy whose parents are unable to forgive failure in school, a girl who is kicked out by her parents — all too similar to stories we hear regularly in today’s news. Perhaps some are able to discuss more freely a century and more later — but not all. This is a beautifully staged production, with a strong score, talented cast and knockout band. It does manage to offend some in the audience because of content and language. We were delighted to see a large class of teens — presumably drama students — in the audience. It’s their show.
Wonka, Beatles themes will highlight ice show `Showtime’ returns to South Suburban By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Skaters in the May 9-11 “Showtime on Ice” at South Suburban Ice Arena include (from left) Reese Gautsche, Janie Ochitwa, Chloe Maciolek, Daniel Arsenault, Emily Fredrickson, Mia Maciolek, Isabelle Booth and Tamara Valdez. Courtesy photo
“Showtime on Ice” enters its 41st season with a show that will entertain families May 9-11 at the South Suburban Ice Arena. A collaboration between the Denver Figure Skating Club and if you go the Colorado Skating Club, the show will include more than 130 The South Suburban local skaters and guest artists AlIce Arena is at 6580 S. exa Scimeca and Chris Knierim, Vine St., Centennial. 2013 U.S. pairs silver medalists, Performances will be at and Courtney Hicks, individual 7 p.m. Friday, May 9; 1 skating competitor and 2014 p.m. and 7 p.m. SaturOlympic Team alternate. day, May 10; and 1 p.m. The performance opens with Sunday, May 11. Tickets local Stars of the Show and guest include general admisskaters Scimeca and Knierim, sion and reserved rinkfollowed by a Willy Wonka series side and bleacher seatof scenes: Candy Shop, Golden ing. They cost $10 to $20, Tickets, Charlie’s Golden Ticket, showtimeonice.com. Factory Tour, Candy Adventure and Charlie’s Good Deed. Following intermission and ice resurfacing will be a Beatles tribute, with these scenes: Yellow Submarine, Ticket to Ride, All You Need is Love and Penny Lane. Completing the program are an ice dance number, a father/daughter piece, guest skater Courtney Hicks and a Twist and Shout scene. The show will run about two hours. With the exception of show directors, choreographers, costume designers, prop designers and graphic talent, this production is run by parent volunteers. It is the nation’s largest amateur ice show, according to publicist Madeline Daley. Performance director is Amy Schneider and the director of choreography is Kelly Corcoran Smith. Both bring extensive experience in performing and directing. Skaters come from across the metro area, with the south suburbs heavily represented: 25 from Highlands Ranch/Lone Tree; 23 from Centennial; 13 from Castle Rock/Castle Pines; 10 from Aurora; seven from Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village and Englewood; six from Denver and five each from Littleton and Parker. The rest are from the learn-to-skate program, and Daley didn’t have their hometowns available.
ElbertSPORTS 13-Sports
Elbert County News 13 May 1, 2014
Injured wrestler returns home thing, not being able to use your fingers.” Exactly when he will regain full mobility in his fingers and arms is unknown. Despite all that’s happened, he maintains a positive mindset. “I can’t go back and change anything that’s happened, so I just have to make the best of what I have,” he said. “That’s what’s going to make things easier for me. It sucks, but instead of trying to go back and change everything, I just try to make things the best that I can.” One of the adjustments Joe is making now is getting around at home, where the facilities are not set up as well for wheelchairs. “It’s one step towards getting back to normal,” said Jim. “We can be with Joe and hang out with Joe.”
Joe Hunsaker regains limited movement, continues his battle back By Nick Puckett
Special to Colorado Community Media It should have been just another tournament for Castle View senior Joe Hunsaker. He knew the routine: Wake up early, meet at the school to carpool, weigh-ins at 7 a.m., wrestle at 9. He’d done it time and time again. Only this time, by the end of the day, Hunsaker’s life would be changed forever. On Feb. 1, Castle View’s wrestling team headed to Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver. Hunsaker weighed in at 194 pounds. He had a bye the first round in the 197-pound weight class. “I sat around for a while and was just sort of napping,” he said. “My time rolled around and I started to warm up.” He stepped onto the mat. The match started like many of his matches had that year. He found himself getting off to a slow start and quickly losing points. “I wouldn’t say the guy was a good wrestler,” he recalled, “but he wasn’t bad. Somebody I definitely should’ve beaten pretty good.” Hunsaker’s opponent took him down and threw him in a double wing, a common wrestling move that stacks an opponent onto their shoulders. That’s when things went wrong. “I remember feeling the pop and the fracture,” he said. “My whole body from my neck down went numb and warm and I couldn’t move anything.” He rolled to his stomach and lay still. And he began to pray. “That’s just the first thing I did,” he remembered. “That’s pretty much the only thing I did until my surgery.” A trainer rushed over and waited for an ambulance to arrive. It took him to the nearest
Finding inspiration
Castle View senior Joe Hunsaker, front center, had plenty of visits from friends and family during his 10-week stay at Craig Hospital. From left, 2012 CVHS graduate Gus Marker, CVHS junior Hudsen Marker, CVHS senior Kaleb Geiger, the Markers’ younger brother, Ricky, and Becca Westlake. Courtesy photo hospital, Swedish Medical Center, about five minutes from the high school. Doctors determined the young wrestler had dislocated his C5 vertebrae from his C6 vertebrae, which are located in the middle of the cervical spine and affect movement throughout the body. Within two hours, Hunsaker underwent surgery to straighten his spine. After nine days at Swedish, he was transferred to nearby Craig Hospital, one of the world’s best neck and spinal hospitals. “This situation sucks,” said his father, Jim Hunsaker, who was also at the tournament that day and is the team photographer. “But we’ve been blessed along the way.” Currently, Joe has full movement of his arms with the exception of his triceps and fingers. Movement in his fingers and triceps is gradually returning. He spent 10 weeks at Craig before returning home April 16. The goal now is to get healthy.
Road to recovery
At Craig, he would attend physical therapy classes every
day during the week. Now, plans call for him to go to physical therapy three days per week and to work out at the Craig gym a couple more days a week. Wendy Hunsaker, Joe’s mother, is at almost every class with him. That way, “when he comes home, we know how to do everything,” she said. While Joe was in the hospital, Wendy would arrive every day at about 9 a.m. Jim would go to work at 8 a.m. but then leave at about noon. Both parents would stay at Craig until 10 or 11 p.m. each day. The Castle View senior used to wake up at 6:30 am and go through physical therapy every day at Craig. Now, he wakes up at 8 a.m. and commutes to Craig for physical and occupational therapy from 10 a.m. until noon. After a one-hour lunch break, he starts lifting from 1- 2:30 p.m. before heading back home. In the afternoon, he likes to spend time with his friends and relax. “The best part of the day is physical therapy,” he said, “either that or whenever I get to work out.”
During physical therapy, he keeps the same competitive drive he had with wrestling and football. “The therapist will say `Are you done? Do you need a break?’ and Joe will just say `No, we can keep going,’” Wendy says. On the weekends at Craig, Joe would spend six to seven hours visiting with friends. Now that he is home, visitors come and see him there. He uses a motorized wheelchair to get around, and a manual one on occasion, and invites his visitors to try the manual one the way he uses it. The manual wheelchair is difficult for him to use because he has limited feeling and movement in his fingers. He still hangs out and watches movies with his friends at home. “It’s like old times before he was hurt,” said his father. “It’s great.” For Joe, one of the greatest challenges has been the loss of use of his fingers. “Having to figure out how to use your hands or do different things” is difficult, he said, adding that he has occasional, limited movement in his fingers. “That’s the biggest
His injury has inspired support from all over the nation with 48 states being represented through the Facebook page, “Joe’s Battle Back.” Kaleb Geiger and Hudsen Marker, wrestling teammates and friends of Joe’s, also kick-started a “TEAM HUNSAKER” T-shirt campaign, which has raised money to help with medical expenses. The medical costs are daunting, the family said, so they greatly appreciate all the help. Another fundraiser is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 9 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Olympic wrestling gold medal winner Rulon Gardner is scheduled to appear with Joe for an evening of food and support. One of the biggest inspirations has come from family, friends and, even, strangers, who have responded to Joe’s unexpected trial with generosity of spirit, the family said. During halftime of the Douglas County-Castle View basketball game on Feb. 21, Huskies and Sabercats filled the gym with the chant “We Love Joe! We Love Joe!” Wendy was there. “I thought to myself, `Way to go, Joe,’” she said. “To have it all contained in one room, to have one common cause, it was amazing.” The overwhelming support, along with the Hunsakers’ unwavering faith, keeps them all moving forward. There is no doubt, Jim said: “God has got a plan for Joe.”
Cardinals learning to play together Losses don’t dampen spirits for Elizabeth girls soccer team By Scott Stocker
Special to Colorado Community Media No doubt it’s been somewhat of a rough season to date for the Elizabeth girls soccer team. But it’s not because the players of coach Summer Katzoff are not totally involved in their play. On April 22, Elizabeth was defeated by Weld Central 6-0 on the Cardinals’ field, thus dropping to 3-7-1 on the season. Weld Central’s defense proved to be stingy against Elizabeth as it only allowed the Cardinals one shot in the game. And that shot didn’t come until the final minute. On the other hand, Weld Central was able to
get off 24 shots, of which 14 were saved by Elizabeth goalie Megan Reyher. Despite the loss, Katzoff is not disappointed by how Elizabeth has played this season. And this is a squad that only has two seniors, Elisha Bates and Jessica Acosta. Rounding out the varsity numbers are five juniors, nine sophomores and three freshmen. “Our defense has been pretty strong and we’ve been looking at getting the scoring opportunities,” said Katzoff, now in her seventh season at Elizabeth. “The teamwork has been strong and our team leaders strong, but they are on the quiet side. They certainly do what they have to do. “All the girls have been playing hard, but we haven’t achieved the outcomes that we want,” Katzoff said. “The girls are going through a real learning season. But they have exceeded my expectations and that’s certainly good to see as a coach.” Three starters are freshmen for Eliza-
beth while four sophomores and four juniors round out the starting lineup. Junior Emily Mohlis is the leading scorer for the Cardinals with five goals this season, while sophomore Sophie Slade has three as does freshman Chandler Hills. Yet despite the number of total goals this season (21), Katzoff is not disappointed. “Our key has been not to give up and step up to the challenge,” Katzoff said. “Sophie is just getting a lot more confidence and we’ve moved her from defense to offense. Emily is just good getting the ball to her teammates and certainly doing well when she has the ball. “Kinsee Dodge is also a freshman from Kiowa. She has been a life-saver on defense. Anisa Samhouri is outside wing and just plays the game so well. But, this is a young team and they are certainly learning to play the game. I’m not at all disappointed by our youth.” It’s also been another learning season
in goal for sophomore goalkeeper Reyher. There is little doubt that opposing offenses have kept her busy. Of her 14 saves against Weld Central last week, several were on the dive. Juniors Ashlyn Hebdon and Gianna Arko couldn’t be more pleased with the way their team has gone through its youthful campaign. “I’m very emotional playing out there, but I think we all are,” Hebdon said. “We need to improve, but I’m certainly proud of the way we have been able to play. We’re a young team and I do feel that we are headed in the right direction.” “We’re definitely young,” Arko added. “Everyone wants to work hard and right now I really think we are more of a family than a lot of other teams. I couldn’t be more proud to be playing with my teammates. Coaching has meant everything to us and we just want to go out and do the right things on the field.”
14
14 Elbert County News
May 1, 2014
things to do Family opens barn for charity boutique Proceeds will benefit teen battling leukemia By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando@coloradocommunity.com Emily and Curtis Graves have shouldered more than their share of tragedy. In 2006, Curtis, 50, lost his wife of 20 years, Laura, and their three children, Kaleb, 18, Kelsey, 16, and Cameron, 14, in a car accident on the way home from a family spring break trip to Utah. Emily, 39, had her own tragedy two years later. In May 2008, she lost her husband of 10 years, David Coburn, and her daughters, Kaitlyn, who was almost 9, and Ellie, 4, in an accident in the tiny town of Sweet, Idaho. Emily and her youngest daughter, Jaden, who was 10 months old at the time, were not in the vehicle. Another daughter, Taylor, who was 6, was in the vehicle and had been critically injured with little hope of survival. She made a full recovery. During this time, Emily discovered a lump in her neck, which was diagnosed as Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She is now a cancer survivor. In 2010, Curtis and Emily were introduced by mutual friends and married in May of that year. They moved to Castle Rock in 2011 and in November 2012 started Sunshine 7 Ranch at 3333 Lake Gulch Road. Soon they welcomed a new child, Tracen, who is now 2, into their blended family. “The thing that I love most about Colorado is the sunshine,” Emily Graves said. “Seven represents the seven family members that my husband and I lost. That’s where the name Sunshine 7 comes from.” For the last three years, the Graveses have chosen a few days where they open their ranch up to vendors and hold the Sunshine 7 Barn Boutique for Charity, with the proceeds
from the event going to a local family in need. “It was the people around us that made so much of a difference for us when we were going through our tough time, and we thought, now that times are good it’s our turn to pay it forward,” Graves said. This year’s event, which will take place May 2 and 3, will bring in more than 60 vendors and craft creators from around the area and will benefit the family of Madi Conley, a freshman at Castle View High School who is battling leukemia. In October, Madi, a cheerleader, suffered a stress fracture in her spine. When traditional healing methods failed to work, other symptoms began to appear. A blood test was done and Madi was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute leukemia that affects adults. She was also diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a medical condition with ineffective production of the myeloid class of blood cells. She was admitted to the hospital and began chemotherapy the first week of January. Madi will eventually need a bone marrow transplant. “When I was growing up, my best friend was a cheerleader and she passed away from leukemia. When I saw the flier with Madi on it, it just clicked that she was the one,” Graves said. Each vendor at the boutique will donate an item to be raffled off, with the proceeds going to the Conley family. In addition, 100 percent of the vendor fees will go to the family. There will also be food, music and face painting. “It’s just a laid-back, fun, family atmosphere,” Graves said. Admission is free.
Editor’s notE: Calendar submissions must be received by noon Wednesday for publication the following week. Send listings to calendar@coloradocommunitymedia. com. No attachments, please. Listings are free and run on a space-available basis. May 21 Blood drivE Walmart blood drive, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 21 inside the Bloodmobile, 2100 Legacy Circle, Elizabeth. Contact Bonfils Appointment Center at 303-363-2300. JunE 28 strEEt fair The sixth annual Kiowa Street Fair/Car Show is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 28. If you enjoy unique shopping, car shows, learning about historic communities, watching your kids have fun, live music, mouthwatering BBQ or just socializing with old and new friends; this is the place to be. The Cowboy Up Rodeo and dance is in town too. This is a weekend of fun, fun, fun! All in the amazing town of Kiowa. There is still some time to sign up to be a vendor, or to reserve your spot to show off your vehicle. For information contact Michelle or Kim at 303-621-2366.
thE outBack Express is a public transit service provided through the East Central Council of Local Governments is open and available to all residents of Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson and Lincoln counties and provides an economical and efficient means of travel for the four-county region. Call Kay Campbell, Kiowa, at 719- 541-4275. You may also call the ECCOG office at 1-800-825-0208 to make reservations for any of the trips. You may also visit http://outbackexpress.tripod.com. To ensure that a seat is available, 24-hour advance reservations are appeciated. May schEdulE: May 5, 19: Simla and Matheson to Colorado Springs May 6, 20: Kiowa, Elizabeth and Elbert to Parker or
Colorado Springs
May 8: Good Samaritan nursing home residents bus ride May 13: Elizabeth to Colorado Springs or Parker May 22: Simla and Matheson to Limon divorcE and Post-Decree Clinic. Elbert and Lincoln County Pro Se Divorce Clinic is offered from 9 a.m. to noon the third Friday of each month at the Elbert County Justice Center, 751 Ute St., in Kiowa. For information, call 303-5206088 or email morgan@hayday.org. The clinic is free for
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GALLERY OF GAMES & weekly horoscope
parties who have no attorney and who are going through dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or post-decree cases. All walk-ins are welcome, and will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis.
douglas-ElBErt county Music Teachers’ Association meets at 9 a.m. every first Thursday at Parker Bible Church, between Jordan and Chambers on Main Street. All area music teachers are welcome. Call Lucie Washburn, 303-814-3479. thE ElBErt County Sheriffs Posse is a nonprofit volunteer organization that is part of the Elbert County Sheriffs Office. As volunteers we support the Elbert County Sheriffs Office, all law enforcement in our county, and the community at large. Membership is open to anyone without a criminal record. It meets the last Monday of the month at the Elbert County Sheriffs Office at 7 p.m. For more information or a membership application, go to http:// www.elbertcountysheriff.com/posse.html, or contact Dave Peontek at 303-646-5456. thE ElizaBEth Food Bank, 381 S. Banner in Elizabeth (next door to Elizabeth Presbyterian Church) needs to let the public know that we are available to help anyone who needs food. The hours are Friday 12:30-3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-11:30 a.m. Other times by appointment. lawyErs at the Library, a free legal clinic for parties who have no attorney, will be offered from 6-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at the Elizabeth Library, 651 W. Beverly St. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help fill out forms and explain the process and procedure for the areas of family law, civil litigation, criminal defense, property law, probate law, collections, appeals, landlord-tenant law and civil protection orders. Walk-ins are welcome. Everyone will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis. MystEry Book Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the first Saturday of each month at the Simla Public Library. The group enjoys talking about a variety of mystery authors and titles. We also periodically host a Colorado author during our meetings. Everyone may join us, and registration is not required. Visit the Simla Branch of the Elbert County Library District at 504 Washington Avenue, call 719-541-2573, or email farabe@elbertcountylibrary.org. ovErEatErs anonyMous meets from 10-11 a.m. and from 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays in the Sedalia Room at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 2100 Meadows Parkway, Castle Rock.
SALOME’S STARS FOR THE WEEK OF ApRil 28, 2014
ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 19) You might need to do a bit more investigating before making a career move. You do best when you come armed with the facts. A personal matter still needs tending to. TAURUS (Apr 20 to May 20) Your creativity plus your good business sense once more combine to give you an important advantage in a difficult workplace situation. An ally proves his or her loyalty. GEMINI (May 21 to Jun 20) Avoid rushing into something just because it offers a break from your usual routine. Take things a step at a time to be sure you’re moving in the right direction.
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GALLERY OF GAMES
CANCER (Jun 21 to Jul 22) Bouncing back from a disappointing incident isn’t easy, but you should find a welcome turn of events emerging. Spend the weekend with someone special. LEO (Jul 23 to Aug 22) An incomplete project needs your attention before someone else takes it over and uses it to his or her advantage. There’ll be lots of time for fun and games once you get it done. VIRGO (Aug 23 to Sept 22) Doubts involving a potential career change need to be resolved quickly so they don’t get in the way when you feel you’re finally ready to make the big move. LIBRA (Sept 23 to Oct 22) looking to blame someone for a workplace problem could backfire if it turns out you’ve got the wrong “culprit.” Best to get more facts before acting on your assumptions. SCORPIO (Oct 23 to Nov 21) patience might still be called for until you’re sure you finally have the full story that eluded you up till now. A trusted associate could offer valuable guidance. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 to Dec 21) look into your recent behavior to see if you could have caused the coolness you might now be sensing from a loved one. if so, apologize and set things straight. CAPRICORN (Dec 22 to Jan 19) Easing up on your social activities allows you to focus more of your energies on a long-neglected personal matter. You can get back into party mode by the weekend. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 to Feb 18) A dispute with a colleague can be resolved peacefully once you both agree to be more flexible about the positions you’ve taken and allow for more open-minded discussions. PISCES (Feb 19 to Mar 20) Volunteering to take on added responsibilities could be a risky way to impress the powers-that-be. Do it only if you’re sure you won’t be swept away by the extra workload. BORN THIS WEEK: Your sense of self-awareness allows you to make bold moves with confidence. © 2014 King Features Synd., inc.
15-Color
Elbert County News 15
May 1, 2014
Deer Continued from Page 1
“The process is the board of trustees gives me a task to look into and I pull into whatever resources I have to address. If it goes to the board there will be a time for public input.”
One of the suggestions made to the board was to increase the number of deercrossing signs in the community. Although the person who made the proposal was not a town resident, Johnson agreed. “I would love to see some signs. Boulder has some flashing signs which have words that if you hit a deer you get penalty, which would make them slow down,” Johnson said. “We have one deer-crossing sign in
the town of Elizabeth — if the accidents were that bad there should be more signs put up.” Eason posed the question of whether more signs would really be of value, considering that drivers should be able to avoid hitting the wildlife if they are driving at the slow speeds posted. “There has to be a basis for it and part of that calculation is the speed limit,” Eason said. “The slower the speed limit, the
presumption is you can see them and stop in time for them. Does the sign really add value? “In town here, it’s not a problem necessarily because of the speed limit, it’s coming into town that is the major issue. I think the highest speed limit is 30 to 35 so a lower speed limit equates to lower potential. If we put a sign everywhere a deer crosses, there would be one at every block — and I’m not being facetious about it.”
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