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December 12, 2013 Elbert County, Colorado | Volume 118, Issue 46 A publication of
elbertcountynews.net
W E AT H E R
WO E S
Justin Pitts, who works for Aspen Falls Landscaping, struggled to repair the blade on his ATV during a Dec. 4 mini-blizzard that blanketed the county with about 5 inches of snow and dropped temperatures into the single digits. Pitts was clearing walkways outside the Safeway Shopping Center in Elizabeth. Photo by George Lurie
Officials preview budget for 2014 Dec. 4 study session spotlights county’s draft By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com
Safeway says no to car sales in lot Signs warn private sellers vehicles will be towed By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com Signs were posted on Dec. 3 at the entrance to Elizabeth’s Safeway warning it is illegal to park cars for sale in the shopping center’s parking lot. “This Shopping Center is not Zoned to Allow the Sale of Cars,” the signs read. “Cars for Sale Will Be Towed At the Owners Expense.” Tom House, Safeway’s store manager in Elizabeth, said he posted the signs because “we’ve had an ongoing problem with people parking in our lot trying to sell their cars.” “We try to be accommodating but we’re running a business here,” House added. “We’re not a used car lot. Our parking lot is for customers.” House said that at one time last summer “we had about 20 vehicles for sale parked in our lot.” Clearly, not everyone has read the new signs: On Dec. 4, a pickup truck with a “For Sale” sign was parked in the Safeway lot. “We’re not trying to give anybody a hard time,” said House. “And we haven’t towed POSTAL ADDRESS
A truck with a ‘For Sale’ sign was parked in the Safeway lot on Dec. 4. Photo by George Lurie anybody’s car. We just don’t want this to turn into a more serious problem. When you use the word ‘tow,’ you do tend to get people’s attention.” House called the problem “a zoning issue” and said it has been going on “for a long time. When we see a car with a sign and call the owner, they usually say, ‘Why can’t I do it? Everybody else does.’” House said at the previous company
where he worked, “I actually had somebody from the state come by and tell me cars for sale can’t be parked in our parking lot.” “We’re a long way from towing people,” House said. “Right now, when we see a car for sale in the lot, we take one of our signs and tape it over the For Sale sign and call the car’s owner.” If that doesn’t result in the car being moved off the Safeway parking lot, House said he refers the matter to the property manager. At present, none of the other businesses in the Safeway Shopping Center have posted similar warning signs. “Right now, it’s not a big deal,” House Printed on recycled newsprint. Please said. “Usually, when I’ve contacted most recycle this copy. people, they understand and say ‘I’ll get the car out of there later today or tomorrow. I tell them ‘no problem.’ “We’re just trying to be reasonable and keep this from becoming a bigger issue,” House said.
At a Dec. 4 study session held to review the proposed 2014 Elbert County budget, the Board of County Commissioners got a glimpse of the county’s financial future — and it wasn’t as bleak as some might have expected. At least on paper, the county’s 2014 draft budget is balanced and actually shows a slight surplus. “It took a hell of a lot of work to get it there and will take a lot more work to execute it,” said BOCC Chairman Robert Rowland. “But as commissioners, we are really excited. This is the best-looking budget we’ve had in seven or eight years.” “This budget process is one of the most critical decision-making opportunities we have,” Johanna Sanders told commissioners. Sanders has been taking the lead in the county’s finance department since the dismissal in October of former finance director Stan Wilmer. “It took a lot of dedication and everybody’s input to get to this point,” said Sanders. “We are really excited to be in the black” in 2014. About 20 people attended the workshop, including a dozen county officials and department heads. “This budget is a guide, not a formula,” Commissioner Kurt Schlegel reminded county employees. A follow-up public hearing, scheduled for Dec. 11 at the fairgrounds, was slated to allow county residents a chance to voice their thoughts — and concerns — about the 2014 budget, which will have to be finalized later this year, likely before the long-delayed 2012 audit has been finished. Rowland said “considerable progress” was being made to complete the overdue 2012 audit. In October, the state directed county treasurer Rick Pettitt to freeze more than $100,000 in property tax revenues until the 2012 audit is submitted to the state. “The audit and budget are related but are really more like second cousins,” Rowland said. “We’ve been through this (2014) budget with a fine-toothed comb now. Finalizing the budget and finishing the (2012) audit are not dependent on each other.” Ed Ehmann, the county’s director of public works, took the lead during the workshop in presenting to commissioners the budget highlights department by department.
Reserve standard met
“One of our biggest goals — and interests — is the $500,000 reserve we are required to have for our loan agreement with Wells Fargo,” Ehmann said. “With this (proposed) budget, we meet that reserve.” Ehmann was referring to the $7 million Budget continues on Page 11
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December 12, 2013
Grumpy’s Coffee Shop changes hands New owners of Elizabeth hub have big plans By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com
SUPPORT
The new owners of Grumpy’s Coffee Shop are planning to expand their burgeoning business empire in Elizabeth. Nolan Williams and Julie Fisher Williams purchased Grumpy’s in October from Bill and Sandy Barton. “My husband had been going there for coffee and really liked the place,” said Fisher Williams. “When he heard it was for sale, he came home one day and said ‘I’m going to buy Grumpy’s.’” Fisher Williams, who has lived in Elizabeth for 20 years, runs a small psychotherapy practice. Her husband, an entrepreneur, operates a number of small businesses in the area. The couple, both Oregon natives, had been business partners for the past four years and just became husband and wife this past February. In 1984, Nolan Williams was honored at the White House as “Entrepreneur of the Year,” in part because of the work he had done to start a short-line railroad in Minnesota. “Nolan is 66 and sometimes he can look a little grumpy,” jokes Julie. “So, along with the big stuffed teddy bear we’ve got there, he fits right in at the coffee shop.” The Williamses are planning to make some changes to the popular local gathering place, including moving the counter back to make additional sitting room. They also plan to offer more deli-style menu items, including homemade soups and sandwiches.
Slo
Upr star
Nolan and Julie Williams are the new owners of Grumpy’s Coffee in Elizabeth. Photo by George Lurie
Fisher Williams said the couple is currently in talks with city officials to rede-By K velop the vacant lot on the corner of StateI-Ne Highway 86 and Main Street where the old Su Gesin’s Market used to be. “a lot cy — findi in m Be comm bran man failed has actor healt but B just h Th requ ters, an a Acce the s cont C Geor calle Inno tions ton. Aw pani hotli mark Th the the H sis st press jails main men shor Bu ® to pr Saver’s Switch is a free program that helps men manage short-term electricity demands on extremely hot days. We install a small box next to do h C your central air conditioner and give you $40 off your October energy bill for signing up. It’s just of m that simple. Sign up by December 31, 2013, and we’ll donate $25 to the American Red Cross. scrap Good for your community. Good for you. Good for us all. So, why wait? filed vices To find out more or sign up, visit xcelenergy.com/SaversSwitch. decis state to pr mun out o “I cess,
Patrons will still have a wide selection of hot and cold drinks and be able to play board games, read or use free wi-fi. And after the first of the year, Fisher Williams said Grumpy’s will remain open in the evenings.
YOUR WHOLE
COMMUNITY
“We are having a lot of fun and really want Grumpy’s to be a down-home kind of place where the community can come in, read a book or newspaper, watch television or just talk and relax,” she added.
SWITCH with one
SIGN UP FOR SAVER’S SWITCH .
xcelenergy.com/SaversSwitch © 2013 Xcel Energy Inc. Xcel Energy will donate to the American Red Cross $25 per Colorado customer, up to $100,000, signing up for Saver’s Switch between the dates of October 15, 2013, and December 31, 2013. This donation is not tax deductible. The American Red Cross name and emblem are used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, opinion or political position. The American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by the American Red Cross. For more information about the American Red Cross, please visit www.redcross.org.
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Elbert County News 3
December 12, 2013
sElizabeth School Board welcomes new members Background checks for volunteers now required Staff report The Elizabeth School District Board of Education met on November 25, their first regular meeting since the Nov. 5 election. At the meeting, newly elected board members Deb Spenceley, Carol Hinds and Chris Richardson were sworn in as directors for a term running from November 2013 to November 2017. Directors Chip Swan and Dee Lindsey remain on the board, with terms continuing through November 2015. At the meeting, the new board, the superintendent and several community members recognized Chuck Williams for his time served on the board. Williams was a board member from 2009 through 2013 and served as board president from 2011 through 2013. Following the swearing-in ceremony, the new board selected officers. Deb Spenceley was named president; Chip Swan, vice president; Chris Richardson, secretary; Carol Hinds, treasurer; and Dee Lindsey, assistant secretary/treasurer. Also at the Nov. 25 meeting, Tammy Krueger, principal at Running Creek Elementary, provided an update to the board on happenings at the school, and elementary school guidance counselors Kelly Tarr
and Dan Kail presented an overview of the key responsibilities of the district’s guidance counselors. Tarr and Kail said the Colorado School Counselor Association (CSCA) represents school counselors at all levels in Colorado and on a yearly basis CSCA recognizes a Counselor Advocate of the Year. At the meeting, Kail and Tarr presented Superintendent Douglas Bissonette with the CSCA School Advocate of the Year Award, an award that goes to individuals who have made significant contributions to the implementation and improvement of school counseling programs. The district’s director of human resources, Kin Shuman, provided an update on several HR topics, including the implementation of a background check for volunteers in district schools. Those wishing to volunteer now need to complete a form, including their consent to do an instant back ground check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Since the implementation of this new process, approximately 330 background checks have been done for volunteers. Shuman also indicated that through this new process, of the approximately 330 volunteer requests, one has been denied due to the specific results of the background check. Shuman is doing survey work with a third party organization, Mountain States, to survey teachers currently employed by
the district. The objective of the survey is to have a better understanding of employee’s views about the district. The survey includes 75 questions and is targeted to be completed during the month of December. Bissonette announced that the district’s application to become its own Administrative Unit for Special Education was granted by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). Bissonette also provided the board with the Draft Annual Class Size Report. The average class size is calculated based on the actual number of students in a classroom with a teacher. The student/teacher ratio uses the total number of students in the school compared to the total number of licensed teachers who provide instruction to students. Board policy recommends criteria for evaluating class size: Kindergarten is 24:1; grades 1-3, 25:1; grades 4-6, 28:1; grades 7-12, 30:1. Bissonette reported the district’s actual student/teacher ratio is: • Elizabeth High School — 22:1 • Elizabeth Middle School — 24:1 • Singing Hills Elementary Kindergarten — 22:1 • Singing Hills Elementary grades 1-3 — 22:1 • Singing Hills Elementary grades 4-5 — 24:1 • Running Creek Elementary Kindergarten — 19:1
• Running Creek Elementary grades 1-3 — 20:1 • Running Creek Elementary grades 4-5 — 21:1 • Frontier High School — 15:1 Six classes offered at EHS exceed the recommended 30:1 ratio. Bissonette said a number of these courses are conducive to large classes such as music and physical education classes Six classes offered at EMS also exceed the recommended 24:1 ratio. According to the superintendent’s report, no classes exceed the recommended ratio at Running Creek Elementary, Singing Hills Elementary and Frontier High School. Several members of the board reported that they had attended the Veterans Day Ceremony at Singing Hills Elementary and stated that there was a good turnout from the community and that students did a great job. Several board members also attended the Conservative Breakfast meeting. Swan spent time with the Frontier High School staff and students as they prepared for the Annual Thanksgiving Meal for the Community. At the meeting, Lindsey reported he has been engaging community members in conversations regarding the recent election and unsuccessful bond initiative. The board also discussed Amendment 23 and funding issues in K-12 education.
Sloppiness cited in mental health delay Uproar leads state to start process over
currede-By Kristin Jones StateI-News at Rocky Mountain PBS e old Susan Beckman wants you to know that “a lot of sloppy work” — and not a conspiracy — were behind the state’s botched job of finding someone to run a network of walkin mental health crisis centers. Beckman — a former Arapahoe County commissioner — heads the administrative branch of the Colorado Department of Human Services, the office responsible for the failed solicitation process. The department has been accused of colluding with local actors — that is, local providers of mental health services — to elbow out a newcomer, but Beckman says a slew of mistakes were just human error. The department on Nov. 22 issued a new request for proposals to run the crisis centers, three weeks after deciding to rescind an award it had made on Oct. 16 to Crisis Access of Colorado, which set up shop in the state for the purpose of applying for the contract. Crisis Access is affiliated with a private Georgia-based crisis intervention company called Behavioral Health Link and Recovery Innovations, an organization with operations in Arizona, California and Washington. Awards made to two Denver-based companies — Metro Crisis Services, to run a hotline, and Cactus Communications, for marketing — were also scuttled. The contracts will determine who runs the keystone mental health initiative of the Hickenlooper administration. The crisis stabilization centers are meant to take pressure off of hospital emergency rooms, jails and prisons — which have become the main providers of services for people with mental illness — after decades of funding shortfalls. But so far, the piece of legislation meant to promote unity and cooperation among mental health service providers in Colorado has proven divisive, at best. Crisis Access has accused the state of making a political decision when it scrapped the contract. In a protest letter filed with the Department of Human Services on Nov. 11, the company called the decision unlawful, and alleged that the state skirted proper procedures and bowed to pressure from a consortium of local community mental health facilities that had lost out on the bid. “If there were concerns about the process, then the state should have required
the regular protest procedures,” says David Covington, who left a job at Magellan Health Services to become CEO of Crisis Access. “That wasn’t done.” The state rejected Crisis Access’ protest last week. Beckman says the decision to scrap the award had nothing to do with pressure from the losing bidders. Instead, she blames plain old sloppiness for a bidding process that was “an embarrassment to the department.” Before the bid was even awarded, says Beckman, she became aware of “blatant” errors including missing scores, incorrect calculations and improper weighting. “We were wondering how we had gotten this far without checking our work,” says Beckman, adding that in retrospect, the award should never have been publicly announced. “It was just such bad timing. It was awkward. It was not good.” Her division instead referred the matter to the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration. That office found that the bid process was not only stocked with errors, says Beckman, but didn’t meet the requirements of the legislation creating the new behavioral health crisis system, including principles of cultural competence, strong community relationships and building on existing foundations. Harriet Hall was among those who were unhappy with the way the bid went the first time. She heads the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and is part of a group of local partners who got together to apply to run the crisis centers. “Our sense of the competing bid was that those strong community relationships were non-existent,” Hall says. “And yet if you looked at the scoring they were scored as high or higher as folks that have the community relationships.” But Covington says there was no requirement that the bidders have a history of operating in the state. Reviewers were impressed with Crisis Access’ focus on peer support and trauma-informed care, records show. If there’s any consensus, it’s that the state’s mistakes will be expensive to fix. A new bidding process means another costly effort by the mental health service providers applying for the job — not to mention those reviewing the proposals. The state hopes to finalize the new contracts by Feb. 24 — four months later than planned. I-News is the public service journalism arm of Rocky Mountain PBS and works collaboratively with news media across Colorado. To read more, please go to inewsnetwork. org. Kristin Jones can be reached at kristinjones@rmpbs.org.
CONGRATULATIONS ELBERT SCHOOL DISTRICT #200 Your commitment to workplace safety has earned you the 2013 CIRCLE OF SAFETY AWARD. Thank you for making Colorado a safe place to work.
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December 12, 2013
Broken bikes heal at hospital Project ReCycle sets up shop in Castle Rock By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com It was a mostly empty fourth floor, thousands upon thousands of empty square feet in the new Castle Rock Adventist Hospital — because the plan was to have that extra floor for future growth, have it ready when needed. Change of plans. Now, all of a sudden, more than half of it is full, full of hundreds of patients — ranging from those that just need a little dusting off to those that need such things as a new seat, cosmetic changes or mechanical work. Bicycles. There are hundreds of donated bikes there, becoming almost new again, being repaired for future giveaways to kids —and some adults — who otherwise wouldn’t have a bike. Todd Folkenberg, the hospital’s CEO, told Colorado Community Media recently that the hospital doesn’t need most of the fourth floor yet, so recently it let the Douglas County-based nonprofit Project ReCycle organization set up shop there for the time being. Folkenberg said the hospital, at 2350 Meadows Blvd., is equally focused on promoting wellness and caring for the ill. “Given our mission and focus on wellness, I had been searching for a way to put this resource to work when I met some leaders and volunteers from Project Recycle,” Folkenberg said. “It’s the perfect partnership in that their work both supports a more active lifestyle for the kids in our community while also providing refurbished bikes to those families that would otherwise struggle to provide bikes to their children. “We wholeheartedly agree with Project Recycle that every child should have their own bicycle.” Jeff Fleck, ReCycle’s vice chairman, said he tries to explain to people about what ReCycle does by telling them to close their eyes and try to remember how they felt when they got their first bike. “When you give that to a child … that’s what you get to feel,” he said. And he talked further about the experience of that, the child’s new sense of freedom, the feeling of ownership, and pride and responsibility. “We tend to make grown men cry,” said Cynthia Edwards, ReCycle’s board chairperson, and she smiled. She and Fleck rattle off some past crying sessions — like when they gave a bike to a 16-year-old boy who had never had a bike, or even ridden one.
Want more neWs? For breaking stories, more photos and other coverage of the community, visit our website at www.OurElbertCountynews.com, the online home of the Elbert Coun-
Jeff Fleck, Project ReCycle’s vice chairman, and Cynthia Edwards, chairperson, stand in the roughly 20,000-square-foot, fourth-floor space that Castle Rock Adventist Hospital recently donated to the organization for use as a bike storage and repair shop. Photo by Virginia Grantier Or the time after Christmas when five brothers were told they could pick out bikes. Their dad came on the scene and when he found out all five were going to get free bikes, the dad related he had wanted to buy all of his sons bikes for Christmas but hadn’t been able to afford it. That time it was the staff and a dad crying. ReCycle also has what they call Dream Bike projects, where an entire elementary school is targeted and every child who doesn’t have a bike gets one — after participating in an incentive program involving such things as better school attendance, showing respect to adults and so on. At one Denver school, they gave away 230 bikes that one day. They have mechanics volunteering from small bike shops, and businesses like REI that donate their mechanics’ time, and other volunteers participating year-round as donations keep rolling in and bikes need
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ReCycle is always looking for more bikes — and age and condition don’t matter. Bikes donated range from stores such as Walmart donating brand-new returned bikes that have a minor defect to really damaged bikes that can still be used for parts. They want it all. “We improve youth pride, responsibility, freedom, respect, and appreciation, through the simple vehicle of a bicycle, while assisting in the battle against obesity and improving our environment,” according to ReCycle’s website. “We do this by not only `giving’ a bicycle, but by providing education on how to maintain it and how to use it safely. We seek to provide group rides/events, classes on maintenance, safety and more.” To find out how to volunteer or where there are bike donations sites in the area, go to http://www.projectrecycle.org/donation-locations/
Chief questioned for decision during Black Forest Fire Developer claims nearly 100,000 gallons of water was mere minutes away By Danny Summers
Dsummers@ourcoloradonews. com
ty News.
elbert county news
repairing or cleaning. The organization has one paid employee, the shop manager, and about 500 unpaid volunteers, Edwards said. People who come into the hospital’s front lobby don’t share it with new bike arrivals, and most of the rest of the hospital isn’t impacted. Project ReCycle’s volunteers bring bikes in through the back and into a freight elevator. But she said some hospital staff members on break tend to wander up to the fourth floor to help. Project ReCycle, which has joined forces with another organization, Bikes for Tykes, has also given bikes to new immigrants, refuges, people newly released from prison and has even sent some to Africa. In mid-December they’re giving out 300 bikes at an undisclosed location because of privacy and security reasons for kids who are involved in complicated situations, or with social agencies.
Black Forest Fire Rescue chief Bob Harvey is under more scrutiny. This time from a land developer and El Paso County Commissioner Darryl Glenn. And once again, Eddie Bracken is defending Harvey’s handling of the heated situation. On Dec. 3, land developer Dan Potter told KRDO News Channel 13 that water he had stored in three cisterns, or underground reservoirs, in Cathedral Pines could have been used to fight June’s massive blaze. According to Channel 13, Potter said he paid $500,000 to install the cisterns. Potter also said he was required to do so by Harvey to protect the subdivision’s 100 homes during a fire.
Cathedral Pines is located in the northwest section of Black Forest. In addition, Potter said he spent $2 million in mitigation. “(The mitigation) is what saved Cathedral Pines,” said Bracken, president of the Black Forest Fire Rescue board. “There’s no way firefighters would have safely been able to reach those cisterns. “It was a firestorm by the time the blaze reached his development. There were 200-foot walls of fire moving across the area less than an hour after the fire started. You had tankers dropping water from above and 35 to 40 mph winds. From a safety standpoint there was no way water was going to be used from those cisterns.” Only one of the 100 homes in the Cathedral Pines area was lost during the fire. The massive blaze claimed two lives and destroyed nearly 500 structures. “I don’t know why (Harvey) didn’t use (the cisterns) or pass the information onto other agencies,” Potter told Channel 13. “A couple of days after the fire I met a fire sec-
tion commander out here. I asked how the cisterns worked; he didn’t even know the cisterns were here.” According to Bracken, Potter raised the cistern issue at a board meeting. Attempts by Colorado Community Media to reach Potter were unsuccessful. Each cistern holds 30,000 gallons. The three ponds in Cathedral Pines also were not used by fire trucks during the fire. The ponds were used for helicopter basket drops. “Those cisterns are designed to protect one or two homes, not an entire forest,” Bracken said. Darryl Glenn, the El Paso County commissioner representing Black Forest, would like to know more about why the cisterns were ignored. “We need an independent analysis of what occurred,” Glenn said. “Mr. Potter brought up a legitimate point. If the issue was raised that needs to be looked at. We need a definitive determination of what happened.”
Harvey has been under much criticism lately by a number of folks. Among them is El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa and citizens in Black Forest that have taken up a petition asking for Harvey’s dismissal. “Obviously, these people have personal agendas,” said Bracken, who believes Channel 13 has also viciously attacked Harvey. “Their agenda is to discredit the districts that fought the fire. All of the districts responded to the fire at a very rapid pace. They came to each other’s assistance. “Chief Harvey did a lot of good work. Only God and Mother Nature had control of that fire, and man was an interested observer.” Bracken added that all of the finger pointing has put a wedge in the Black Forest community. “We’re trying to bring the community back together and heal it,” he said. “Second guessing is not helping.” CCM also tried contacting Chief Harvey for this story, but he did not return phone calls.
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Elbert County News 5
December 12, 2013
Surgeries provide chance for uninsured OpWalk in second year at Parker Adventist By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com It’s not very often that people look forward to surgery. For Eddie Gallegos, going under the knife means new opportunities, and a chance to get his life back. His knee, injured in a 1999 car accident and re-aggravated when he slipped on ice in 2011, causes excruciating pain, to the point where he can’t stand for more than half an hour without having to sit. Sometimes, he is unable to sleep. Gallegos was forced to quit his job at a warehouse, leaving him without health insurance. He has relied on a wheelchair and pain medication from a free clinic for the last two years, just to get by. A phone call last spring changed everything. After narrowly missing the cut the year before, Gallegos was selected for Operation Walk, a not-for-profit volunteer organization that provides free surgical treatment for patients without access to adequate medical care. It’s the second year for the OpWalk program, as it’s commonly known, at Parker Adventist Hospital. Gallegos, 52, literally counted down the days to the surgery and went to great lengths to avoid getting sick ahead of his knee replacement surgery Dec. 2. The night before, he was unable to sleep for a reason other than debilitating pain: nerves. When asked what he was most looking forward to after regaining his mobility, he gives an answer that underscores how difficult everyday tasks have become. “I don’t know, I’d like to walk to King Soopers and buy something and walk home, `cause usually I get there and then I have to call for a ride back,” he said. His mother, sitting nearby as nurses
Eddie Gallegos, 52, said he was both nervous and grateful going into a knee surgery as part of OpWalk, which provides surgery and pre- and post-operative care at no cost to patients without insurance. Photo by Chris Michlewicz prepped him for surgery, became emotional as he talked about dealing with his struggles. He credited his parents with helping him maintain a sense of normalcy. Gallegos is considered a young patient for a knee replacement, but was the perfect candidate for OpWalk surgery. A rod was inserted into his tibia after the car accident in 1999 and removed a few years later. It allowed the bone to heal, but created a deformity that created stress on surrounding cartilage. Eventually, the cartilage on the joint broke down, resulting in bone-onbone chafing, said Dr. Derek Johnson, who was instrumental in bringing OpWalk to Parker Adventist. The knee replacement, which involves
taking a centimeter of bone from both the femur and tibia and inserting a joint made of metal and plastic, will be a “life-changer,” Johnson said. “Hopefully this will allow him to get up, regain his mobility and ideally regain entry into the workforce and potentially obtain insurance,” he said. Gallegos says he looks forward to working again, not to mention climbing stairs without being on all fours. He’s also awaiting simple escapes, like walking in the grass, playing with his dog and using his snowblower. Johnson looks forward to meeting with a rejuvenated man in six weeks. “It’s going to be great to see him back
things to do Dec. 12
first-served basis.
Volunteer rounD-up. The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo needs 150-200 volunteers in guest relations, children’s programs, horse and livestock shows, and the trade show. The 108th stock show is Jan. 11-26. To learn more about the volunteer opportunities and to set up an interview for a volunteer spot, attend the National Western volunteer round-up from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver. For information and to fill out a volunteer application, go to http:// www.nationalwestern.com/volunteer/ or contact Kellie at 303-299-5562.
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.
Dec. 18 BlooD DriVe. Walmart community blood drive is from 2-6 p.m. Dec. 18 inside Bonfils’ mobile bus at 2100 Legacy Circle, Elizabeth. For information or to schedule an appointment please contact the Bonfils’ Appointment Center at 303-363-2300 or visit www.bonfils.org. All donors who give blood between Dec. 8 and Jan. 18 will receive a Bonfils T-shirt, while supplies last. 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. 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 303-520-6088 or email morgan@hayday. org. The clinic is free for 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,
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 303-6465456. 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. elizaBeth guitar Group. Elizabeth guitar circle will meet on the first and second Wednesday of each month at the Elizabeth Library. Traditional protocol/ courtesy. Country, pop, bluegrass, cowboy, Beatles, 50s, 60s, 70s, blues, jazz and more. We who play for pleasure would love to meet more of same. Acoustic or power down. Come prepared to share a few songs, perform, play along, sing along with others. Enjoy new guitar friends to jam with. Gerry Vinson hosts on the first Wednesday from 6:30-9 p.m., and Laurie Smith hosts on the second Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. Uncertain? Drop by and observe. Banjo, ukelele, mandolin welcome. Call Laurie at 720-363-3531. 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. SaturDay genealogy Fun meets at the Elbert Public Library at 1 p.m. on the seocnd Saturday of each month. Beginning to advanced genealogy enthusiasts are invited to attend. The Elbert Public Library is in the Elbert School library at 24489 Main Street in Elbert. Call 303-648-3533 for more information. SeniorS Meet in Elizabeth every Monday at 11 a.m. for food, fun and fellowship at Elizabeth Senior Center, 823 S. Banner St. Bring a dish for potluck on the first Monday of each month. Other Mondays, bring a sack lunch. Bingo, games and socializing. New leadership. Call Agnes at 303-883-7881 or Carol at 303-646-3425 for information eDitor’S note: Calendar submissions must be received by noon Wednesday for publication the following week. Send information to calendar@ ourcoloradonews.com, attn: Elbert County News. No attachments. Listings are free and run on a spaceavailable basis.
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after the first of the year when he’s been up and walking and using his leg in a way he hasn’t in probably 5-10 years,” Johnson said. OpWalk provides all aspects of treatment, surgery, hospitalization, and preand post- operative care. Four other patients were scheduled to receive surgery this month at Parker Adventist at no cost. Other goods were donated by St. Anthony North Rehabilitation, Colorado Anesthesia Consultants, Sound Inpatient Physicians, Diversified Radiology, Crown Point Pharmacy, Zimmer Rocky Mountain, Timberview Clinic, On-Q, Centura Health at Home, and Denver Vail Orthopedics.
6-OPINION
6 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Join forces to fight epidemic of distrust Survey results about trust always turn our heads. As the saying goes we build credibility by the teaspoon and lose it by the bucket when we make a mistake in our line of work. A recent Gallup survey indicated people have confidence in newspapers with 9 percent at a “great deal” and 14 percent at “quite a lot.” It represented a slip from two years earlier when the numbers were 12 percent and 16 percent respectively. This year our lot was nestled below TV news but above big business in the bottom half of the summarized list. HMOs took the bottom spot, and the military took the top spot with 43 percent at “great deal” and 33 percent “quite a lot.” By the way, nice work by small business taking second place. And another recent survey, the annual governance survey Gallup poll, pointed out that confidence in government’s
our view ability to handle international problems tallied a low with 49 percent expressing a great deal or a fair amount of confidence, reportedly 2 percentage points down from the previous mark of 51 percent in 2007. But just this past week, we found sad numbers from another recent survey – The Associated Press-GfK Poll, conducted by GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications – that points to an erosion of trust person to person. In broad strokes, the survey mirrors reported trends that the percentage of people who believe most people can be trusted is in decline. The survey results asked respondents to share how much they trust “people who they may not know very well” in vari-
question of the week
What do you like best about the holidays? With Christmas just around the corner, we asked a few folks at Lone Tree’s Park Meadows shopping center what they like best about this time of year.
“Food. Anything German, green bean casserole and Christmas cookies. The food is like a present to me.” — Demi Rivera, Lone Tree
“Baking cookies, putting up Christmas lights, all the traditional activities.” — Alexis Shelton, Aurora
“It’s between the gifts and my family.” — Greg Cherabie, Centennial
“The decorations and the lights.” — Angelo Montanari, Denver
Gee, your hair looks all hairy Would you rather be alone, or not be alone but with one condition: You have to spend your time in bad company? Many of us would rather have companionship in a red-flag relationship, than have no relationship at all. I am not one of them. I currently have a five-year lease with Jennifer, but I spend most of my time in splendid isolation. (Jennifer lives somewhere else, with two of her three children, which is good for me. One of them needs to be driven to soccer, somewhere, on the hour. The other one would eat drywall if it had sauce on it. The kid will eat anything, and he is as skinny as a fishing rod.) Newspapers, magazines and television programs are filled with advice about hooking up with someone. I don’t think any of it really works. It’s all luck. Dating is as easy as pie. Anyone — anyone — can find someone to go out with once. The trick is to find someone you want to go out with twice, or who wants to go out with you twice. My best advice is simple. Get a haircut. Just about everyone needs a haircut. For one thing, this isn’t the Summer of Love. Please tell me what you think about this project of mine. There’s a very friendly woman who works in my grocery store. She stacks her hair like an undecided bird’s nest. The first time I saw her, I thought she had overslept, and just piled it up for the day. She piles it up every day. She needs someone to hairnap her, put her in the back of a car and take her to the nearest barbershop. This is what I am asking: Should I keep my mouth shut, or say something?
ous situations. The highest level of trust came for “people who have access to your medical records when you visit a doctor or hospital people,” with 50 percent choosing “a great deal/quite a bit.” Even in this top category, 29 percent said “just somewhat,” and 17 percent said “not much or not at all” in the same category. The highest level of distrust was in the category of “people driving the cars around you when you’re driving, walking or biking,” with 39 percent at “not much” or “not at all,” which makes sense given the random interactions on the streets. The three lowest levels of trust came in situations that are generally more random, such as interactions with people who swipe credit cards, people driving cars around you, and people met while traveling. The three highest levels of trust generally involved where the relationship may be less random and in some cases involve an ongoing relationship, such as
Broken records have a benefit Now I am not referring to breaking records like the most touchdowns thrown in a season, home runs hit in a career, or breaking the 3.43-minute mile. Nor am I referring to breaking other records recognized by Guinness World Records. The only record or recording that you may actually want to break is if I were to personally record a song, as I couldn’t carry a tune if it were strapped to my back. There would be true benefit to breaking that record for sure. You know the expression, “you sound like a broken record,” right? Well I am here to share with you that there are real benefits to sounding like a broken record. But then again there is the danger of being that broken record so often it begins to sound like a scratched record, nagging, and maybe even like nails on a chalkboard. We have to find the balance. For now, let’s focus on the benefits, sound fair? In many of my columns I focus on some consistent themes, words, or concepts and most if not all are characterized by a foundation of positive and encouraging intent. Some may say, and actually have accused me of sounding like a broken record when it comes to my constant promotion of showing gratitude, developing self-confidence, living with hope, the importance of staying positive, being optimistic, setting goals, and focusing on building winning relationships. Can I say thank you Zig Ziglar one more time? What we need to remember is that common sense is not always common practice, and that repetition holds its place as the “mother of learning,” the “father of success,” and even “the mother of skill.” So you see, there are many benefits to being a
Elbert County News 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 If I were to say something, I would try my best not to say, “What is wrong with your hair? Did your cat get into it?” I might say, “An attractive woman like you could use a more subtle hairstyle. Maybe one that didn’t look like you comb it with a blender.” No, that’s no good either. I’ll work on it. I have made arrangements to pay someone to cut her hair. I wonder if Bird’s Nest would be offended, or if she would be pleased that someone noticed and cared. Jennifer and I like to go to the airport and watch people, and keep track of haircuts - who needs one and who doesn’t. We have done this a number of times, and we have determined that 37 percent of the population at DIA needs a haircut. We are not the Rightful Arbiters. No one appointed us. But if someone is constantly swiping their hair, to get it out of their eyes, it’s an easy call: Get a haircut. If you still look like one of Dexys Midnight Runners, get a haircut. When I met Jennifer, she needed a
Smith continues on Page 7
with people who have access to medical records, people who prepare food, and people meet while traveling or away from home. Seems like the more people are connected by the conveniences of modern life, the more disconnected they are in other ways, such as building trust. We notice that trust is stronger in smaller circles where people have repeated interactions with the people who make up their lives. While we do our best to increase trust and confidence from our offices, we see an effort that needs to take place neighbor by neighbor, group by group. It’s not too early for a New Year’s resolution. Be a joiner, join a local organization, learn how it works and get to know the people involved. And if you are already involved, look for another opportunity. Survey says – stronger connections bring more trust.
gerard healey President and Publisher Chris rotar Editor ryaN Boldrey Assistant Editor eriN addeNBrooke Advertising Director audrey Brooks Business Manager sCott aNdrews Production Manager saNdra arellaNo Circulation Director roN ‘MitCh’ MitChell Sales Executive
broken record or taking the time to listen to others who may sound like a broken record but are delivering a very valuable and powerful message that could lead to our future success. So here it goes, my broken record is about to begin playing. It’s now your choice to keep on reading or listening to what I have stated repeatedly over the years, or you can simply choose to flip the page. Every one of us can reach higher, do more than we are doing for our family, our friends, and for our community. Every one of us is gifted and talented and has so very much to offer this world. We are the only ones in control of how we define, pursue, and achieve our success. Showing appreciation affords us the freedom and the power to build winning relationships that will last a lifetime. And every one of us is beautiful in the eyes of those who love us the most. I am a sucker for a broken record, I have a collection of personal and professional audio programs that I listen to over and over again. Even though I have listened to some hundreds of times over, the message still resonates and I still learn something Norton continues on Page 7
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Columnists and guest commentaries The Elbert County News features a limited number of regular columnists, found on these pages and elsewhere in the paper, depending on the typical subject the columnist covers. Their opinions are not necessarily those of the Elbert County News. Want your own chance to bring an issue to our readers’ attention, to highlight something great in our community, or just to make people laugh? Why not write a letter of 300 words or fewer. Include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.
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7
Elbert County News 7
December 12, 2013
Health requires more than health care Because so much of the national discussion lately has centered on health, the Affordable Care Act and its troubles, you might think that health insurance is all that matters when it comes to making people healthy. It isn’t. That good health is more than health care was a point I heard many times on my recent Fulbright fellowship visit to Canada, and it’s a topic we don’t talk much about in the U.S. I visited a doctor in Toronto who has created a simple brochure — he calls it a poverty tool — to help doctors think about poverty during office visits and help their patients cope. For example, the tool tells docs to factor poverty into an assessment of a patient’s risk factors, say for diabetes. The Canadian Medical Association held town hall meetings this year in several cities, and participants identified nutrition and food security, income, housing, and early childhood development as the main drivers of good health. A major Canadian study has found that providing private apartments for homeless people who are mentally ill has made a difference in the quality of their lives and social functioning. Plus they are using more health services in their communities rather than in more expensive hospitals. Redirecting services to less expensive community facilities is a goal in Canada as well as in the U.S.
Wherever I went, I heard a lot about what the nation can do to improve the health of what Canadians call their aboriginal populations. The health problems — diabetes, mental illness, and obesity — that plague Canada’s native populations are the same ones Native Americans face. But I don’t hear many people in U.S. health care circles talk much about our native populations. And I heard more talk about what can be done to improve the health of Canadians in general than I heard complaints about their infamous waiting lists for cataract or hip replacement surgery. Dr. Marcia Anderson DeCoteau, a physician on the faculty at the University of Manitoba, told me that education contributes to every health outcome from kindergarten on, and if people are poorly educated, that deprives them of good health from the beginning. “The impact to the country of reducing wait times to improve popula-
tion health is minimal,” she said. Throwing more money into medical services and using more of the “newest” medical services and “greatest” technology doesn’t always bring better health, as we can see from the latest international survey from The Commonwealth Fund, a New York City philanthropic organization focused on health care. (Full disclosure. The foundation funds Thinking About Health columns.) For more than 10 years, the fund has surveyed patients in 11 countries about cost, access and quality, and each year, contrary to our widespread belief that we have the best health system in the world, the U.S. comes up short. For starters, the U.S. spends more per person on medical care than any other country. This year spending hit $8,508 per person compared to $5,669 in Norway, the next highest spender. When it came to spending on administrative costs for insurance, the U.S. led the way, spending $606 per person compared to France and Switzerland, which spent $277 and $266. About one-third of Americans spend a lot of time dealing with insurance paperwork and fighting with their carriers over claims. In countries like Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, which have competitive insurance markets, far fewer citizens spend less time on insur-
ance hassles. For instance, only 17 percent of Germans complain about insurance matters. Both Americans and Canadians report longer waits for primary care when they are sick. Given those stats, it’s hardly surprising that 75 percent of Americans said the system needs fundamental changes or should be rebuilt. If and when the Affordable Care Act is successfully implemented, some of these problems are likely to get worse because the system still will not have fundamentally changed, and some patients will shoulder higher out-of-pocket costs. As patients, consumers of health care, or just ordinary Americans, we need to think about our health care system more broadly and ask what are we getting for all the money we spend. And if we decide to keep the title of the world’s biggest health care spender, exactly what are getting for all that money?
both the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously. It is a shining example of what can be achieved when we put our political differences aside and work to tackle tough problems. Our common-sense proposal will help reduce the burden of a cumbersome, patchwork regulatory system, driving costs down, while also protecting families from counterfeit or tainted drugs. If Colorado fruit growers can track a
peach from the tree to the store, consumers should reasonably expect the same level of scrutiny for their prescription drugs. Pharmacists in Colorado fill more than 60 million prescriptions every single year, and for many of us, the medications we take can mean the difference between life and death. Families purchasing these drugs deserve to know they are safe. Democrat Michael Bennet has represented Colorado in the U.S. Senate since 2009.
Trudy Lieberman is immediate past president of the Association of Health Care Journalists. The Rural Health News Service is funded by a grant from The Commonwealth Fund and distributed through the Colorado Press Association, the Nebraska Press Association Foundation and the South Dakota Newspaper Association.
Pharmaceutical bill shows bipartisanship Located on every gallon of milk at any grocery store in the state of Colorado is a bar code that contains the history of that particular gallon — what dairy farm it originated from, where it was pasteurized, and when it expires, among other things. If there is a contaminated batch or an outbreak of disease, officials can trace where this milk came from and quickly respond. If you were to wander over a few more aisles at that same grocery store, to the pharmacy, you may be surprised to learn that no similar system of protection is in place. In fact, pharmacists cannot determine with any certainty where a prescription drug has been and whether it has been secured or safely stored on its way to the pharmacy. Making matters worse, there is no uniform oversight of this supply chain, where prescription drugs pass through many different hands (manufacturers, distributors, dispensers, and re-packagers). All that exists is a patchwork of state regulations that vary enormously from state to state. Compare that to airport security. If every major U.S. airport had different security processes, with some easier to circumvent than others, imagine which one a terrorist would prefer. This is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. In 2009, nearly 130,000 vials of insulin where stolen, left unrefrigerated, and later found across the country in a na-
Smith Continued from Page 6
haircut. Every time I saw her after that I asked her, “Did you get a haircut?” I know it was annoying, but it worked. She no longer looks like one of the dancers on “Hullabaloo.” Sometimes we get stuck in a year or a decade, and we can’t let go. If you are stuck in a decade, and you are lonely, maybe you will meet someone who is
Norton Continued from Page 6
new. I have read many books two and three and even four or more times, highlighting and underscoring the pages in different colors so I can see what I learned new each time. Yup, bring on those broken records, let me hear them over and over again and
tional pharmacy chain after patients began reporting poor control of their insulin levels. Less than 2 percent of the insulin was ever recovered. And just a year ago, contaminated compounded drugs from a center in New England caused a meningitis outbreak, which killed 64 people. All that’s about to change. A few weeks ago, the most comprehensive drug safety bill in a quarter-century became law. The Drug Quality and Security Act would track prescription drugs from the time they are manufactured to the moment they are delivered to the drugstore. Like UPS or FedEx, but for prescription drugs instead of packages. And it won’t add a penny to our deficit. These supply chain security provisions are the culmination of more than two years of bipartisan work we did with Senator Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, in conjunction with a wide range of business and consumer groups. In a dysfunctional Congress, this bill passed
stuck in the same decade and is just as lonely. But if you get a contemporary haircut, you open yourself up to lots of other candidates. Here’s an example. Have you seen Melanie Griffith in “Working Girl”? After a haircut, she wound up with Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford is waiting for you, right around your next haircut. Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast. net
enjoy the benefits of applying what I hear and learn. How about you? What are some of your favorite broken records or messages you can just never get enough of? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail.com and as I have said each week for the past several years (broken record here) … let’s make it 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.
OBITUARIES
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8
8 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
20 families, 20 stories of struggle Douglas/Elbert Task Force is crucial safety net By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com It’s in an industrial park on Park Street in Castle Rock — past storage units and a gun shop, and various other shops, in one of those nondescript rectangular buildings, where every day 20 or more families come to get help — many for food, clothing, money so utilities aren’t turned off, so rent can be paid. Jenny Follmer, the client service manager at the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, 1638 Park St., usually stops at 20 families, a task force rule. The 21st person wanting to sign up to get help is asked to come back the next morning. But it’s the holidays. “We’re so swamped,” said Follmer, sitting behind a desk that has on it the day’s stack of file folders with 20 families’ paperwork in them. So even though she’s seen 20 this day, she’s still trying to help three or four more and has calls out to churches and others to see if help is out there — for the family whose electricity has been turned off and the family with seven children whose house has been foreclosed on and they’re being evicted in a couple of days. Follmer, who has degrees in marketing and Spanish, volunteered here for four years, and liked helping people, so she took a job with the agency more than Go to www.detaskforce.org/ two years ago, trying to help about/ to learn more about the some more. Sometimes she task force. can, sometimes it’s tough. This day was some of both. And she goes back through them all. She opens up the first file folder: First family: A Castle Rock family, renters, mom, fiancé and three kids. The utilities have been turned off. Both adults are in school and have part-time jobs. They have food stamps, but they can’t buy some things with them — toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers. They need help getting their utilities back on and they need food. Families can get food every 30 days from the task force, and the amount depends on how many people. This family of five leaves with 146 pounds of food, lots of canned goods from the food bank. Food stamps often are used to buy fresh produce. Like all the other families that day, they’re offered a turkey. All but one family takes one. “They’re desperate for protein,” Follmer said. Second family: A Highlands Ranch family, renters, two adults and two kids. Never been here before. Wife lost job and has filed for unemployment. Husband has a new job but doesn’t get paid until the end of December. They have two disconnect notices and need help with their December rent, utilities and need food. Third family: A Douglas County woman on disability, renter. Her ex-husband came back to Colorado with their three kids and then he left, and left the kids with her. She has $85 left for bills after she pays the rent. But today, she just needs food. Fourth family: A Castle Rock woman, who works as a server, and boyfriend, who works, and three children. They make a total of $1,700 a month. They need food and Christmas assistance. The task force has a family adoption program for the holidays, and has such things as toys for gifts and gift cards
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Staff members at Douglas Elbert Task Force, 1638 Park St., Castle Rock, have a daily limit. They help the first 20 families who sign up. But this time of year, staff is being swamped, and on a recent evening were trying to help more. so the family can have a special meal. But Follmer said their Christmas assistance is limited. They can’t offer it to everyone. Fifth family: An out-of-state couple — who left everything including their jobs to come to Colorado after their daughter was in a serious accident — is now living in a hotel. They have temporary jobs, but can’t make enough to save enough for first month’s rent and deposit. Today, they need food. Sixth family: A Castle Rock family, grandmother in her 70s, grown daughter and three granddaughters. The daughter works, but the rent is more than half her income. They come in today for clothing, food and Christmas assistance. Seventh family: A Castle Rock mothers in 50s with two teens. Because of serious health problems, she lost her job. The older teen had a job, but lost it. There’s no income at all right now. Today they need food and Follmer tries to find resources for rent assistance. Eighth family: A Castle Rock mother, a renter, with three kids, living on disability and food stamps, had been awarded significant child support, but hadn’t been receiving it. She needs help with food, utilities and Christmas assistance. Ninth family: An Elbert County family, renters, three kids and husband and wife. Husband is facing several surgeries to correct past surgery. He’s in extreme pain, but works off some rent for landlord. Wife is working. They need help with food and Christmas assistance. Tenth family: A Castle Rock family, renters. Wife, husband and one teenager. Husband is working. She broke a bone and currently can’t work. They come in for food. “All of these people are just scraping by,” Follmer said. Eleventh family: A Castle Rock family, long-term task force clients. Four adults, five kids, extended family. Two of the adults are working, and one has seasonal work. They come in for food and Christmas assistance. Twelfth family: A Parker grandmother, raising her grandchild after daughter passed away. She’s living on Social Security and disability. She comes in for food and has a disconnect notice, so she needs help with utilities, and gets Christmas assistance. Thirteenth family: A Castle Rock homeowner, never been in before. Recently divorced and lost job when company closed down. Husband hadn’t been paying bills he said he’d pay. At this point, she just needs utilities assis-
tance. She filed for unemployment in October but still hasn’t received any money. She’s been interviewing for jobs and was particularly excited about a recent interview. Fourteenth family: A Castle Rock couple and one child, renters, come in for food and Christmas assistance. “When more than half of their incomes goes toward rent … the money is eaten up pretty quickly,” Follmer said. Fifteenth family: A Castle Rock woman on disability, a renter. She’d like to work an hour or two a day, but Follmer shakes her head about that possibility. The woman is on oxygen 24 hours a day. She comes in for food. Sixteenth family: A Castle Rock man in early 20s, homeless. He couch-surfs; sometimes he’s out in the elements by Plum Creek or other places. Douglas County doesn’t have transitional housing or a shelter. He comes in every few months. This time he comes for food and clothing. He’s doing temp work and trying to get stable housing. But the task force gives a one-time $250 to help with first month’s rent and deposit. Follmer doesn’t want him to waste that if he’s not at the point where he can financially keep a place. Seventeenth family: A Castle Rock couple and one teenager, renters, both work. But rent is more than half of their income. They make too much for food stamps. They come in for food. Eighteenth family: A Castle Rock couple and baby, renters. He works. She’s home with the baby. They come in every couple of months. Today they need food and some Christmas assistance. Nineteenth family: A Castle Rock man, 50s, just released from jail, the Douglas County Justice Center. Follmer said the jail releases people with nothing, no money, no transportation, so released inmates generally walk the couple miles to the task force to get help. This man got a ride from a local mental health agency. From Follmer, he gets some food and a couple days lodging at a motel. From there, he’s trying to get his job back, and reaching out to friends. Whatever family he has is estranged. Twentieth family: A Parker couple and one child live in a motor home on a relative’s property. They both work, but jobs are dependent on weather conditions. They come in for food. That was Nov. 26 at the task force. But that’s every day at the task force, Follmer said. And when she walks into her own home, she counts her blessings.
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9
Elbert County News 9
December 12, 2013
Hearing reveals actions before school election Douglas County candidate alleges improper activity
ing 71 changes “that were, in my opinion, political in nature.” A separate contract with former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett, who both wrote a paper and made a public speech weeks before the election, has not been released. District leaders revealed only under questioning following Bennett’s Sept. 25 public speech that he, too, is a paid consultant. They have said the $50,000 used to pay him came from a donation made to the Douglas County Educational Foundation, the district’s nonprofit fundraising arm. “It feels like the district went out of its way to deceive the public that two experts wrote papers about how great the reforms are working,” Susan Meek, an activist who supported the losing candidates, testified. Though the two contracted documents were the focus of the Dec. 2 hearing, testimony also centered around alleged district restrictions on parent distribution of campaign material, online postings by two charter schools about election forums to which only the reform candidates were invited, and a sitting school board member’s Facebook posting — which Keim said suggested the district was seeking information to use against her. Two principals testified on behalf of DCSD as the defense began presenting its case late on Dec. 2. Principal Laura Wilson of Redstone Elementary, who had asked a parent volunteer to stop leaving fliers on cars parked in the school lot, said she was acting based on another parent’s complaint — not a district directive. Parker Core Knowledge Charter School Director Teri Aplin said she was unaware one of the candidate events posted with information sent to parents included only the reform candidates. Dunn moved Dec. 2 to dismiss the case, but Judge Hollyce Farrell rejected the motion.
By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com A seven-hour state-level hearing Dec. 2 revealed details about the collaboration between the Douglas County School District and consultants hired to write papers on the alleged success of its reform efforts. Plaintiffs in the hearing, who alleged violations of the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act, also introduced a contract between DCSD and the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that explained the type of paper the district wanted to see. Previously, school officials said all payments to AEI came from the Douglas County Educational Foundation, but testimony revealed that the district paid for at least half of the $30,000 contract. The hearing, held at the Office of Administrative Courts in downtown Denver, was based on allegations that DCSD violated the state’s campaign law during the fall 2013 school board election campaign. Unsuccessful school board candidate Julie Keim filed the complaint. By 5 p.m. Dec. 2, the defendants had only just begun to present their side of the case, prompting the judge to schedule a continuance tentatively set for Dec. 10. Keim’s complaint alleges that DCSD’s pre-election actions were designed to benefit the “reform” candidates in the race. Those four candidates, including incumbents Doug Benevento and Meghann Silverthorn, and newcomers Judi Reynolds and Jim Geddes, won the Nov. 5 election. Attorney Jason Dunn, hired by DCSD to represent the district in the case and accompanied at the hearing by DCSD legal counsel Rob Ross, said evidence doesn’t
From left, former Douglas County school board candidate Julie Keim testifies before Administrative Law Judge Hollyce Farrell and Keim’s attorney Craig Joyce at a Dec. 2 hearing in Denver. Photo by Jane Reuter support Keim’s complaint. “There is no evidence it was done with the intent to support candidates,” Dunn said. “At the end of the day, this is about political theater.” AEI’s Rick Hess and Max Eden wrote a paper, “The Most Interesting School District in America,” that the district emailed to parents Sept. 18 as a “just-released white paper” and did not identify as a district-paid product. The Feb. 6, 2013, contract between DCSD and AEI outlines a $30,000 payment and scope of services, asking the organization to “research, create, publish and publicize” a 25-30 page white paper with three to five sidebars. DCSD’s requirements for the paper included a description of the district, the problems its reforms are meant to address, how the reforms are “new and dif-
ferent,” district challenges in the face of its reforms and lessons learned. The district’s lead spokeswoman and its foundation director, Cinamon Watson, signed as DCSD’s representative. Hess and Watson also exchanged emails about the paper in which the writer asked for further guidance. “Ideally, we would love for you all to help us help you,” Hess wrote in a March 22 email to Watson. “Rather, we would prefer it if you would tell us what you want us to focus on, what is most worthy of attention, what you’d like to see written about, and what your general angle on it and the paper is.” In her testimony, Keim also claimed statistics were “cherry picked” to reflect positively on the district, and that DCSD heavily edited Hess’ draft document, mak-
Mountain lion sightings reported in Parker Wildlife division sees no cause for alarm By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com The Parker Police Department is warning residents to be on the lookout for a mountain lion after multiple sightings were reported. The agency took calls Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 from Parker residents who spotted what is believed to be the same mountain lion. Sightings have been reported as far west as Hilltop Road and Pine Drive and as far east as Canterberry Trail and Wanderlust Drive, near the entrance to the Canterberry Cross-
ing neighborhood. Police officers are increasing patrols in the areas where the big cat has been seen. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is aware of its presence and police are asking witnesses to call in its location so officers can track it. Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for the wildlife division, said there is no cause for alarm and referred to it as a “keep-youreyes-open situation.” “It’s not unheard of for lions to end up in that area. We do have sightings from time to time,” she said. Because of the proximity of the sightings, it is likely the same mountain lion, Churchill said, but added that it also could be a dispersing family group. There are no plans to trap or euthanize the animal. Although mountain lions are widely
considered to be a big threat to humans, a recent study in Boulder revealed that they “do everything they can to avoid humans,” Churchill said. They are generally active from dusk until dawn. The mountain lion seen in Parker could be trying to find new territory or passing through. It is more likely to be attracted by the abundance of deer rather than house pets. Coyotes and foxes are more of a danger to family pets in backyards than mountain lions, Churchill said, but owners are advised to not leave their pets unattended. Mountain lions were particularly active in the Parker area in 2006. There were three sightings in the Timbers area of the Pinery in April of that year. Three months later, the police department received reports that a mountain lion had been seen near elemen-
Woman wins $1,000 shopping spree at Outlets
tary schools in both the Hidden River and Canterberry Crossing subdivisions. In September 2006, Iron Horse Elementary School decided to keep students indoors for a day after a sighting near the school. Although most residents in Colorado will never see one, the parks and wildlife division provides tips on avoiding a confrontation with a mountain lion. Officials are recommending that people walk in groups and keep a close eye on children. Those who come across a mountain lion are asked not to approach it and to back away slowly without making sudden movements. “If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can get your hands on without crouching down or turning your back,” says one of the tips released by the department.
Extra! Extra! Have a news or business story idea? We'd love to read all about it. To send us your news and business press releases, please visit ourcoloradonews.com, click on the Press Releases tab and follow easy instructions to make submissions.
By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com A Highlands Ranch woman was the lucky winner of a $1,000 shopping spree at the Outlets at Castle Rock. Heather Whiting won the prize during the Moonlight Madness event held at the shopping center on Black Friday. “It was a random drawing and you had to be present to win,” said Whiting. “I usually go to the mall with my two teenage daughters at 3 a.m. on Black Friday. But this year we decided not to be so zealous and got there at 6.” When the drawing was held later Black Friday morning, the person whose name was first pulled out of the hopper was not there. “So they spun again and pulled my name out,” Whiting said. “I was shocked.” Whiting said she spent part of the loot “on new clothes and boots” for both her and her daughters. “I thought about buying some fancy designer purses but decided to be practical,” she said. “I’m actually saving some of the gift card for the post-Christmas sales.”
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10-Color
10 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Farming could face age crisis Experts differ about future demographics By David Pitt
Associated Press Agriculture economists have long warned that farmers are getting old and staying on their land longer, delaying the turnover to a younger generation. But an Ohio State University professor argues that those fears are overstated and the United States likely will have little problem replacing aging farmers as long as business is good, as it has been for the past decade. Others aren’t so sure, saying while they agree with OSU agriculture economist Carl Zulauf’s assessment, concerns about the unquestionably aging farmer population remain valid and create uncertainty about who will produce the nation’s crops in the future. “I think what he said is absolutely right,” Iowa State University economics professor Mike Duffy said. “I think the conclusion he’s drawing, though, is not necessarily the correct one.”
Zulauf contends that just like in the 1970s, farm prosperity will draw more young workers into farming. And prosperous the business is: This year, net income from U.S. farms is expected to reach a record $131 billion. Farm wealth has also reached record levels, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with farm asset values rising 7 percent this year to a record $3 trillion. On average, farmers are about 15 years older than the broader U.S. workforce, Zulaf said, but noted in his October report that this age difference hasn’t changed since the 1980s and that the average age of farmers is increasing at the same pace as U.S. workers generally. USDA statistics in 2007 showed that for each farmer under 25, there were five who were 75 or older. In Iowa alone, Duffy said, landowners who were older than 75 owned 28 percent of the state’s farmland in 2007, compared with 24 percent in 2002 and just 12 percent in 1982. Duffy believes it’s essential to pay attention to the transition of farms from one generation to another, saying the catch is enabling those young farmers with programs and policies that help people with
few assets and little access to land to get a chance to farm. Land prices throughout the Midwest have soared in the past decade, largely due to strong prices for corn and soybeans, with the average value in the U.S. this year rising 9.4 percent to $2,900 per acre. Iowa’s average farm real estate value increased 20 percent this year to $8,400 an acre. And farm implements, such as tractors, combines and grain bins, are often pricey, with a new combine costing upward of $350,000. “It takes a while to acquire that capital, usually by saving or through inheritance,” Zulauf said in an interview. “That doesn’t typically happen until people have passed a fair number of years as a working adult to get to that stage.” Lindsey Lusher Shute, 34, knows that difficulty firsthand. She and her husband, Benjamin Shute, 35, farm 70 acres near Clermont, N.Y. She said the three biggest concerns for younger people looking to farm are access to land, ability to borrow money for land and equipment and health insurance costs. Land in the Hudson Valley, where she is, costs about $8,000 to $10,000 an acre.
“It’s incredibly difficult to farm as a newcomer in farming, especially for young people coming to farming from a nonfarm background,” said Shute, who grows vegetables and raises egg-laying hens. A common occurrence is passing on the family farm to the next generation, much like Earl Hafner, 67, is doing with his 2,000-acre farm about 45 miles west of Des Moines. Unlike typical Iowa farms, he and his son, 45-year-old Jeff Hafner, raise a little bit of everything. There’s corn, soybeans, alfalfa, winter wheat, buckwheat and rye. They also sell honey from their own bees, raise pigs under contract for international food company Cargill, pasture 250 cows, keep a flock of 150 chickens, grow tilapia fish in large tanks and have organic basil, lettuce, spinach, kale and other products in an adjacent greenhouse. The goal is to transition ownership of the farm assets, which began in the early 1990s, to his son by the time Earl Hafner is 70. Already, Jeff Hafner owns the cows, buys all the new equipment and handles Farming continues on Page 11
Holiday Worship T H E BI RT H CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES:
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Christmas EvE sErviCE
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Joy LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA
7051 East Parker Hills Ct. • Parker, CO 303-841-3739 • www.joylutheran-parker.org
Candlelight Communion Christmas Eve Service
Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Sunday Service 10 a.m.
Christmas Eve Service 5 p.m. wellofhopechurch.org
Come with questions. Come as you are. Located at DCS Montessori School 311 Castle Pines Parkway Castle Pines, CO 80108 720.295.4271 woh.elca@gmail.com
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Elbert County News 11
December 12, 2013
Budget Continued from Page 1
loan agreement with Wells Fargo that allowed the county to refinance the Justice Center in 2009. As part of that agreement, the county is required to make approximately $500,000 in annual principal and interest payments and hold an additional $500,000 in a reserve account. The proposed 2014 budget includes about $65,000 for the purchase of new computers and upgrades to the county’s outdated Windows XP software, which will no longer be supported by Microsoft in 2014. In order to come up with the 2014 budget numbers for her department, Jen Grote, the county IT director, said she went from office to office analyzing existing inventory and eliminating a significant number of computers that were redundant or not being used or were no longer needed. Ehmann called the money set aside for technology “one of the big ticket items in this budget. Sixty-five thousand dollars is a lot of money for Elbert County,” he said. Another big change in the proposed 2014 budget is a nearly $450,000 jump — to a projected $727,000 — in expected revenue to be generated by increased traffic
enforcement by the sheriff’s office. Rowland said that because the State Patrol has decreased its presence in the eastern part of the county, Sheriff Shayne Heap plans to hire two new deputies — and lease two new patrol cars — in order to “aggressively patrol” the area around Interstate 70. “At one time when Bill Frangis was sheriff, the county was generating $1.5 million in (traffic ticket) revenue,” said Rowland. During the workshop, Sanders said county leaders’ first attempt at drawing up the 2014 budget “was $1.1 million in the red. So we asked all department heads to cut expenses everywhere possible,” she added. “This budget is consistent with budgets you see in a lot of other counties,” said Ehmann, who has been with the county for 12 years. “We’ve reallocated a number of line items and moved numbers around to where they belong.”
Steps described Some things the county needs to do to make sure the budget “works from here on out,” Ehmann told commissioners, include: • Review cash flow; • Talk to Wells Fargo about changing the due dates on note payment in order to be better synchronize it with the county’s cash flow;
• Restructure the county’s unemployment and workers comp payment schedules; • Review all department and office budgets on a monthly basis. In analyzing past budgets and cash flow from 2011 to 2013, Ehmann said that during times when the county’s expenditures rose, the revenues tended to fall off or remain flat. “As a team, all department heads and elected officials will try to restructure our cash flow to bank more revenues when we are liquid,” which, Ehmann said, historically tends to be during the first half of the year. “We’ve been overspending our revenues for [the first] seven months out of the year,” said Ehmann, who showed a series of historical charts demonstrating that the county’s cash flow tends to plummet from July through the end of the year. “We need to really analyze our expenditures during the last seven months of the year,” said Ehmann. In terms of revenues, county officials are estimating a total of $7.3 million in property taxes will flow into county coffers in 2014, about the same amount the county has received during the past two years.
Farming Continued from Page 10
the financial books. “We talk about it and he makes all the decisions,” Earl Hafner said of his son, a 20-year Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq. Hafner knows farmers whose children work in other professions and have no interest in farming. “Those are the people that when they die the farm will probably be sold,” he said. For his part, Zulauf is aware of the difficulties in transitions, but is looking to keep the problem in perspective. “I’m not saying in any way, shape or form that this isn’t an issue that we might want to talk about that’s for us to decide, but I do think if you’re going to have these discussion you need to have the data — and not just the data, but the data in context,” he said.
have a story idea? Email your ideas to Sports Reporter Jim Benton at jbenton@ourcoloradonews. com or call him at 303-566-4083.
Holiday Worship Advent Season Worship Wednesdays Dec. 4, 11, 18 @ 7:00 pm “We Three Spies” Dec. 14 @ 7 pm Christmas Dinner Theatre Dec. 15 @ 6 pm
www.gracecolorado.com You are invited to worship with us on 3:00 pm: Children’s Service 8:00 pm: Carols by Candlelight Service 11:00 pm: Carols and Communion Service
Christmas Eve Grace is on the NE corner of Santa Fe Drive and Highlands Ranch Parkway, (across from Murdoch’s).
Christmas Eve Services Dec. 24 4:00 pm | 6:00 pm 8:00 pm |11:00 pm Christmas Day Service Dec. 25 @ 10:00 am
9300 E. Belleview Ave. Greenwood Village, CO 303.770.9300
303-798-8485
Christmas
at Christ Lutheran Church Carols, Communion & Candlelight at all services. 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. Children’s and Family Service 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Contemporary Service Crossroads Band
9:00 p.m. Service of Lessons & Carols Celebration Choir
Christmas Begins with Christ! 12/24 -- Christmas Eve 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 p.m. 12/25 -- Christmas Day 10:00 a.m.
Celebrate a joy-filled Christmas at Trinity Lutheran Church
Child Care at 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 p.m. Come and join the joy & wonder of Christmas at one of our five Christmas Eve Services on December 24th, 2013!
Christ Lutheran Church 8997 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch ½ Mile South of C-470
303-791-0803 • www.clchr.org
TriniTy LuThEran ChurCh 4740 n hwy 83 Franktown, CO (303) 841-4660
12-Color
12 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Are you drinking toilet water? Water-connection woes can cause human illness By Kristin Jones
I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS Feel like a nice cool glass of ice water? Before you take a sip, you might want to take a quick tour of your home. How’s the fill valve in your toilet? Do you have a vacuum breaker on your outside spigots? What about your boiler? Without the right plumbing bits and pieces in place, you could be at risk of drinking toilet water, sipping lawn fertilizers or slurping hazardous chemicals. If they aren’t protected, cross connections between the drinking water in your home and non-potable water sources can mean that dirty water gets mixed with the clean. It might take as little as a change in water pressure. And it’s not just in your home. Backflow can happen almost anywhere — from schools to restaurants to water treatment plants. A review of state records by I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS shows that throughout Colorado, hazardous cross connections rate among the most persistent public health risks in water distribution systems. I-News found that 30 percent of water providers inspected by the state since 2009 were found to be in violation for something related to cross connections or backflow — most often issues related to documenting or managing risks. And 9 percent of the water systems were found to have potentially hazardous cross connections. Among schools operating their own small water systems, inspectors found cross connection issues to be even more prevalent. Roughly 47 percent were found to be in some kind of violation of cross connection or backflow rules, while risky cross connections were found in 19 percent of the schools, according to a recent analysis by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. If left unchecked, these routine plumbing problems can make people sick.
Hospital had trouble
Last fall, 26 people at a medical facility in Colorado Springs fell ill after drinking water that tasted and smelled odd. The building, which includes Memorial Hospital’s surgery and wound care centers, shut down until an investigation by state public health authorities identified the probable culprit: a faulty connection between the drinking water and the ventilation, or HVAC, system. Propylene glycol — an ingredient in antifreeze — had been leaking into the pipes for three days, officials found. Investigators said other anti-corrosive chemicals may have gotten into the water, as well.
How to control cross connections A few simple steps can help protect your drinking water from contamination via backflow in your home. Hiring a backflow prevention technician or a licensed plumber is the best way to make sure your plumbing is safe. Faucets: Make sure the lower end of each faucet is at least an inch above the top edge of the sink or tub. Toilets: Lift the top of your toilet tank and look inside. Make sure the fill valve is at least an inch above the water. The bowl refill tube should also be above the water line. Boilers: Install a backflow preventer on your boiler. Otherwise, pressure from the boiler water — which is often treated with
hazardous anti-corrosion chemicals — may be pushed into the potable water line. Garden hoses: Install a vacuum breaker on each outside spigot. Never leave a hose submerged in a bucket, hot tub or swimming pool. Contaminants from the yard can be sucked back into your drinking water. If you’re using a Miracle-Gro nozzle or other add-on to your hose, unscrew it when you’re done using it. Without a backflow preventer in place, fertilizer or other chemicals can contaminate your water. Sprinklers: Install a vacuum breaker well above the ground and above the level of all sprinkler heads in your yard, to ensure that chemicals, fertilizer or pet waste aren’t pulled into your drinking water.
NexCore Properties, which manages the building, had no comment on the state’s findings. Paula Freund, a spokeswoman for Memorial Hospital, said she’s confident the water problem has been fixed. Fred Spengler is one of a few technicians in the state trained to find and fix cross connections in homes and businesses. In Colorado, he says, it’s often older homes that have problems, or those with special features like solar panels or heated driveways. But issues turn up in mundane places, too. “Lots of the cross connections have to do with toilets,” says Spengler.
would be tough to trace to its cause; it might be dismissed as a 24-hour bug. In some cases, the consequences can be serious. In Commerce City last year, Nick and Roxanne Cattaneo were awarded more than $900,000 from Aquakleen Products Inc. after their family’s sewer line was mistakenly connected to their drinking water during the installation of a water softener. Commerce City officials warned at the time that Aquakleen had installed water softeners at more than 100 households without a permit. Backflow from a household has the potential to pollute public water, too. A lawyer representing Aquakleen said the company had no comment.
Homes at risk A 2004 study conducted in Iowa by the University of Southern California’s Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research found that nearly one in 10 homes had a direct connection to a health hazard — most often in the toilet, but also in heating and cooling systems, water softeners and outside spigots. Patrick Sylvester, the study’s project manager, said in an interview that he was surprised how many homes had faulty sewer connections — 14 of the 188 homes included in the study. Only 4 percent of the homes were fully protected from a direct or indirect cross connection, according to the USC report. “Most of the cross connections could be abated with a few dollars and a few minutes,” the study found, “but residents were unaware of the hazards existing in their own plumbing system.” As in larger water systems, faulty cross connections at home can cause health problems if a change in water pressure or a disruption to the water line coincides with an unprotected connection. In most instances, an illness caused by backflow
Thousands of illnesses From 1970 to 2001, according to the National Research Council, there were 12,000 reported illnesses from 459 instances of backflow. The number doesn’t catch unreported cases. “Because of the enormous range of contaminant sources involved, as well as the number of unprotected cross connections, backflow events collectively constitute the greatest potential health risk from distribution system contamination,” the National Research Council reported in 2006. In Colorado, state water quality inspectors periodically inspect larger water systems — which include anything from a school or a campground with its own well and filtration system, to a town or a city. Larger water systems like the city of Denver are required to keep records of the highest-hazard spots in their jurisdiction — places like the Denver Zoo, where the water district found in 2006 that water meant for washing down the lion’s den was mixed with employees’ drinking water. Nearly one in three water systems in the last five years has been dinged for failing to
keep adequate testing records or for other backflow-related problems. Most schools aren’t routinely tested by the state — it’s left to their water providers to mitigate the risks. But schools with their own wells have a poor record of compliance.
School is example
The water system that supplies Caliche School in the northeastern Colorado town of Iliff, for example, failed to install backflow preventers in the mop sink, the auto shop and the training room, state inspectors found during the most recent inspection in 2010. School officials say the backflow preventers are now in place, and the water system is being upgraded. Officials from the state public health department downplay the risks associated with backflow, emphasizing that water pollution from a bad connection depends on a lot of things going wrong at the same time — for instance, a pressure change, an absence of protection, and the presence of a harmful contaminant. “It is a potential risk, and it is something that we evaluate,” says Ron Falco, who manages the state’s safe drinking water program. “A cross connection by itself isn’t a contamination.” The state rarely punishes water providers solely for problems related to cross connections — even in cases of repeated problems. However, they acknowledge that the state regulations need updating — in part to offer more guidance to small, cashstrapped systems. After a salmonella outbreak in the southern Colorado city of Alamosa in 2008 that was unrelated to backflow, a team of investigators called for a series of reforms to prevent future incidents of waterborne illness, including updating state regulations related to cross connections. Four years after that report came out, however, the old rules are still in place. The outdated regulations don’t mention specific hazards to look out for — things like chemical laboratories, aircraft manufacturing facilities or mortuaries. They also don’t spell out specific backflow prevention methods or set testing standards. Falco, who was lead author of the 2009 report on Alamosa, says that the current rules don’t pose any risk to the public. He said that inspectors have stepped up surveillance of backflow-related risks since 2009, and expects to see improvements in water providers’ records. The new rules are expected to launch by January 2015. I-News is the public service journalism arm of Rocky Mountain PBS and works collaboratively with news media throughout Colorado. To read more, please go to inewsnetwork.org. Kristin Jones can be contacted at kristinjones@rmpbs.org
Have an event? To submit a calendar listing, send information to calendar@ourcoloradonews.com.
Elizabeth United Methodists Christmas Eve Family Worship Carols and Candlelight 4:30 & 6:00 p.m. Live Nativity 724 E. Kiowa Ave (Hwy 86) Elizabeth, CO (Turn at the car wash) 303-646-1870
www.elizabethunitedmethodists.org
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Elbert County News 13 December 12, 2013
Light the lights
Dwyer behind holiday show
A pair of Gingersnaps from a production of ‘The Nutcracker of Parker’ watch Sugar Plum Fairy Jenna Carara from the side of the stage at the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Lighting event at O’Brien Park Nov. 29.
South Park stories
Three-year-old Conner Danjou gets his picture taken with Old St. Nick during the Mayor’s Annual Holiday Lighting celebration Nov. 29 at O’Brien Park.
Hand-made gifts add spice to season Unique items offered by artists, craftsmen By Sonya Ellingboe sellingboe@ ourcoloradonews.com Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, shoppers might consider some close-to-home locations that sell items created by local artists and craftsmen. No two pieces of art are exactly alike, but all are created with great pride and skill. And these colorful, inviting places are relaxed, casual and fun to visit. We cite a few ongoing, year-round shops and galleries, rather than short-term artisan markets (which we also recommend.) In Littleton: • Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., is housed in a historic 1881 Santa Fe Railroad depot that served Littleton when early rail lines came to town. During the U.S. bicen-
tennial celebration, the depot was turned into an art gallery through a major effort by the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, with community support. It is owned and maintained by the City of Littleton and operated by members of the Littleton Fine Art Guild, who volunteer. For the holidays each year, it schedules “The Holiday Express,” a show/ sale of crafts and small fine arts by members and invited artists. Here one will find whimsical rotund ceramic critters, glass art, tree decorations, note cards, angels, animal wall plaques for a child’s room, scarves, jewelry, photographs (I especially liked an egret) and inexpensive matted paintings and prints. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. 303-795-0781. • The Pottery Gallery Studio, 5739 S. Curtice St., is operated by potter Kim Louise Glidden in a former Buick dealership garage in historic downtown Littleton. She represents more than 50 artists, including potters, sculptors, metal workers, jewelry makers and painters.
Wind ensemble show
“High Country Holidays” is the title for Colorado Wind Ensemble’s Dec. 14 concert, at 7:30 p.m. at Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 S. Datura St., Littleton. Local composer David Hanson’s “Fanfare for Mountains and Plains” will be featured, as will Christmas, Hanukkah and classical music. A benefit bake sale follows the concert, plus a sale of $25 King Soopers Reward Cards. Tickets: $15/$12/$5 at the door or online at coloradowindensemble. org. Information: 303-394-4552.
Hundreds gathered to sing carols and watch the lighting of the O’Brien Park trees Nov. 29. They also enjoyed a preview of “The Nutcracker of Parker,” which is in its 10th year and is showing at the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center Dec. 19-22. The Mayor’s Annual Holiday Lighting has become a tradition shared by families who want to get into the holiday spirit. Santa and Mrs. Claus paid a visit and took gift requests. Hot chocolate was the preferred drink, despite mild temperatures.
Photos by Chris Michlewicz
Many area theater fans will remember Paul Dwyer from the late, lamented Country Dinner Play House, where he acted, directed and produced more than 100 productions over many years, according to a reprint of a 2008 Denver Post story. He is now working with Starkey Theatrix and will direct a return performance to Lone Tree Arts Center of “Home for the Holidays,” which he worked with last season as well. It will have new material and cast members, yet retain its warm family-oriented flavor as more than 50 performers sing, dance and entertain. The production runs Dec. 12-22, with evening and matinee performances. Lone Tree Arts Center is located at 10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree. See LoneTreeArtsCenter.org for times and ticket prices, or call the box office, 720-509-1000.
Littleton’s 1881 Santa Fe Depot Art Gallery features “Holiday Express” in December. Photo courtesy of Dustin Ellingboe 303-738-2275. • Willow — an Artisans Market, 2400 W. Main St. in downtown Littleton, is operated by Helen Rice. It represents more than 200 artists — most from Colorado — who create jewelry, pottery, garden art, greeting cards, clothing, accessories, glassware, paintings and prints. 303-730-8521. In Castle Rock: • Art on the Edge, 314 Wilcox St., is run by the Greater Castle Rock Art Guild, open Tuesdays
through Sundays, which has a range of paintings, artwork called “Small Packages” (not larger than 12”x12”) and other gift items made by members. Also on exhibit: “Everything Watercolor” with works by Paul Valdez and Marcia Ames. 303814-3300. We will be interested in learning from readers about more locations in our south suburbs that feature original, locally created arts and crafts such as these.
Author Christie Wright will give a slide lecture based on her new book: “South Park Perils: Short Ropes and True Tales” for the Dec. 16 meeting of the Highlands Ranch Historical Society at 7 p.m. at Southridge Recreation Center, 4800 McArthur Ranch Road, Highglands Ranch. She will give a brief overview of Park County history and a look at some of the historic outlaw and murder stories from the second half of the 19th century. A book sale and signing will follow. Free for members, $1 donation suggested for visitors. Info@ highlandsranchhistoricalsociety.org, 641715-3900, ext. 147406#.
Spotlight on Spotlight
Spotlight Performing Arts Center, 6328 E. County Line Road, Highlands Ranch, announces two performances and three auditions: “Annie,” a full-length musical production, will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 13-14. Tickets: $12 at the door. A “Holiday Variety Show” will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 and 2 p.m. Dec. 21. Tickets: $5, will provide food, clothing, gifts for those in need this holiday season. (Good opportunities for prospective students to see how this school operates.) Auditions are slated: Dec. 20, 4 p.m. — “Sound of Music” for teens and children 5 and older. Now to January — “Winnie the Pooh” for ages 3 to 9. Now to January — “Bye Bye Birdie” for teens and children 5 and older. Call to audition at 720-443-2623. Information: spotlightperformers.com.
It’s a thriller
Bestselling authors James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell will introduce their new novel in the “Order of the Sanguines Series”: “Innocent Blood.” They will appear at the Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., at 7 p.m. Dec. 13 to discuss a mystery in which the answers are found in a gospel written in Jesus’ own blood. Archaeologist Erin Granger returns to the scene. (The pair will also appear at Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins at 2 p.m. Dec. 14.)
14-Color
14 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Villano brings it on for Christmas Musician hopes for large crowd at Lone Tree church By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@ourcoloradonews.com For the multi-talented Dave Villano, presenting his “Christmas Magic” concert at Word of Life Christian Center in Lone Tree on Dec. 19 is a particular pleasure. It’s in home territory. (The concert is not produced by the church, but is a rental venue large e n o u g h to hold a The Word of Life Christian Center hoped-for is located at 8700 Park Meadows crowd of Drive, Lone Tree. The concert is 1,000, Vilscheduled at 7 p.m. Dec. 19. Ticklano exets are $20/$10/$5, in advance, plained.) with adult tickets costing $25 at The 1996 the door, DaveVillano.com. Highlands Ranch High School graduate, who had started his first band at 13 and won a high school talent contest before he graduated, spent a few years away in Nashville, playing with a Christian band called Shaded Red and with others; underwent heart surgery; recovered; toured; wrote and recorded. In 2000, he moved back to Denver and continued his career as a successful, national, independent recording artist and performer at churches, arts and music festivals nationwide — selling his CDs as he travels and performs. He said he now lives
IF YOU GO
New play opens
“Gifted” by Carrie Printz is the winner of the 2012 Edge Festival of New Plays and is about a gifted mixed-ethnic boy who dreams of being on a reality show. It plays through Dec. 29 at the Edge Theater, 1560 Teller St., Lakewood. Appropriate for families (children 8 and over). Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays; 6 p.m. Sundays, except Dec. 22, 29, when the performances will be at 2 p.m. Tickets: $20/$15, online, $22/$17 at the door. 303-232-0363, theedgetheater.com; email: theedgetheatercompany@comcast.net.
Spunky little orphan
“Annie” plays through Dec. 29 at Town Hall arts Center, 2450 W. Main St., Downtown Littleton. Performances: 7:30 Thurs-
in the unincorporated part of Arapahoe County with an Englewood address. When in town, he enjoys time with nearby family members — his parents still live in Highlands Ranch and siblings are close also. His brother Ed, an engineer by profession — and a percussionist with the band — helps out as assistant producer when it’s holiday concert time. Both said that next year the band will transition to year round scheduling, with a series of outdoor summer concerts and expanded venues for Christmas concerts — hopefully in Fort Collins and maybe Boulder. (This year, they performed on Dec. 12 at Stargazers Theatre and Events Center in Colorado Springs.) They think they are better than Mannheim Steamroller, with which they have been compared. “Our sound is different,” Dave says. With 14 members, they can produce a full sound or “take it down a notch,” depending on the song they’re performing. The special sound could be related to inclusion of some unusual instruments: Tina Gugler, for example, is a U.S. National hammered dulcimer champion and Eric Olson is well known for his performances on Uillean pipes, a smaller Irish form of bagpipe where the bellows are pumped with the elbow. Dave Villano plays an Irish pennywhistle, electric violin, guitar, Uillean pipes and more. Ed Villano plays a stumpf fiddle. Dave is proud that band member Dave Beegle, who was once Villano’s guitar teacher, was named “Best Independent
Dave Villano’s band includes: Top, l to r: Matt Weesner, keyboards; Christian Teel, drums; Devan Jones, vocals; Frank Lynn violin; Dave Villano, electric guitar, Irish whistle; Taylor Mesple, keyboards; Eric Olson, Uillean pipes. Seated: Michael Olson, Bass Guitar; Tina Gugler, hammered dulcimer; Taylor Jordan, vocals; Dave Beegle, electric guitar; Ed Villano, percussion, stumpf fiddle. The band will appear in Lone Tree on Dec. 19. Courtesy photo Guitarist of the Year” by Guitar Player magazine. “Through Dave, I met other players,” he said. The band leader was enthused about new vocalist Devan Jones, an “American Idol” contestant, as “filled with charisma, energy, soul …” He said he tries to find the best possible local talent and found James by googling “American Idol, Denver,”
which brought up a YouTube video. (Vocalist Taylor Jordan was also an “American Idol” contestant.) The band’s music is described as “traditional, Celtic, and contemporary holiday music … running the full gamut of musical experience … from classical to folk, rock and everything in between.” That should please most family members.
Falls — will be presented by Phamaly Theatre Company at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax, through Dec. 22. Performances: 7:30 Fridays, Saturdays and Dec. 16, 19; 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $29/$25, 303-739-1970, phamaly.org.
Commons St., Lone Tree. Paul Dwyer is director of this Starkey production, which features a cast of more than 50. See lonetreeartscenter.org for times and tickets prices. 720-509-1000. Arrive a half-hour early and enjoy the Lone Tree Art Exhibit and Sale.
CURTAIN TIME
days, Fridays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays and Saturday Dec. 21; 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15. Tickets: $22-$42, 303-794-2787, ext. 5, townhallartscenter.com. (We advise advance reservations on this one.)
Goodness Gracious!
“A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play” by David Alberts will be presented Dec. 13 through Dec. 22 by Goodness Gracious! Productions, of Parker, at the Deep Space Events Center, 11020 S. Pikes Peak Drive #50, Parker. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, 20, 21; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 15, 22. Tickets: $15, goodnessgracious.org, 303-968-4157.
In the mountains
Phamaly for holidays
Holiday spectacular
“It’s a Wonderful Life” — the perennial favorite about George Bailey of Bedford
“Don’t Dress for Dinner,” a farce by Marc Canoletti, is presented through Dec. 22 at the Lake Dillon Theatre. 176 Lake Dillon Drive, Dillon. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Tickets: $27-$31 adults/$23 students, 970-513-9386, lakedillontheatre.org.
“Home for the Holidays” plays through Dec. 22 at Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075
Calm After the Storm
Mel Brooks musical
“Young Frankenstein” by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan plays Dec. 13 to Feb. 2 at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora. Town Hall’s education director Seth Maisel plays the title role. Deb Flomberg directs. Performances: 7:30 Fridays, Saturdays and as part of a New Year’s Eve program that begins at 6:30 on Dec. 31; 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $$31 ($26 in advance), 303-856-7830, vintagetheatre.com.
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15-Color
Elbert County News 15
December 12, 2013
Novel tells rousing tale of 1890 Denver Young lawyer plays role of truth-seeker By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@ourcoloradonews.com “About half a dozen regular customers leaned on the bar in Murphy’s Denver Saloon … as good as any spot to spend the hot summer morning …” Then two angry men stormed in and a fight ensued over the attentions both had paid to a lady of the night, a “soiled dove.” At about that time, Andrew Coyle, Esq., a newly minted lawyer from Philadelphia, arrived by train and saw policemen escorting a prisoner along the street. He took the cable car to 17th and Larimer Streets and headed for the classy Windsor Hotel … Familiar names of build-
ings and businesses add to the fun of solving a mystery. Before he embarked on writing “Murder in the Rockies,” author G. Eldon “Gary” Smith had read a great deal of Denver history, circa 1890 — books by Tom Noel, Phil Goldstein and especially “Hell’s Belles: Prostitution and Vice in Early Denver” by Clark Secrest. (The third-generation Longmont native, who now lives in Centennial, notes that Secrest was two classes ahead of him at Longmont High School. ) “As I was doing my research about early days in Colorado, I kept coming across the year 1890 as a time when many events took place. It soon became apparent that my novel was going to take place in 1890. I put down the basic premise and the beginning and end of my novel and let the characters tell their own story. Many characters I had not forseen entered the story and changed
the plot. I just used spell check and left the story up to the characters.” And he has a grand assortment of characters — some we have read about in history books and others who are figments of Smith’s imagination. They actually are reasonably well under the author’s control most of the time. They cross paths in downtown Denver — described as it was then, visit restaurants and bars and courtrooms. Coyle defends a rancher accused of murdering a miner, although Coyle is convinced of his innocence. Smith said he had visited all the locations mentioned in the novel — some during Tom Noel’s and Dennis Gallagher’s historic walking tours/lectures. Coyle had to do a quick study on Colorado statutes and had to figure out how to locate the actual murderer of Henry Defler, since he was certain his first client, Will
Conway, was innocent — unfortunately, he had been heard to threaten Defler in that opening bar scene and most in town considered him guilty. The reader travels with the young attorney to Idaho Springs and up into mining country in search of the truth and Smith describes the dry, dusty, rutted roads and miner’s claims as we encounter other guntoting characters. Coyle Esq. finally figures it out in Sherlockian manner, outwitting the murderer. (A local sheriff is discovering Arthur Conan Doyle’s books and talks of the technology such as fingerprint analysis.) And then, there is the pretty haberdasher’s daughter … “Murder in the Rockies” by G. Eldon Smith is available at all Tattered Cover stores in a $15.95 trade paperback. It would fit well in a scene with a big cozy chair and a cup of hot cocoa.
Southern Europe trip is arty excursion Littleton resident sets up journey for 2014 By Sonya Ellingboe
sellingboe@ourcoloradonews.com Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Luberon, Marseille, Orange, Palermo, Agrigento, Siracusa, Taormina and more … Travelers interested in art and architectural history will find “food for the soul” on a daily basis as they embark on a tour offered May 17 to June 4 by veteran traveler Christine Khorsand of Littleton. Khorsand taught at Arapahoe Community College from 1991 to 2011 (French, Spanish, art history). And starting in 1993, she arranged summer art-related, facultyled study trips to France and Italy for students and others. Tour members could paint, take photographs, study art history and French in various combinations, in various years — at various locations. When she retired, she started her own company: Christine’s Travels. ACC art professor Susan Goggins, who was on many of those trips, will be the art history lecturer in 2013. Many previous trips began, as this one does, with time in Aix-en-Provence, where Khorsand grew up — a city related to the others she plans to visit by reflecting thousands of years of accumulated layers of culture. One finds Roman and Greek ruins (an ancient theater is retrofitted to host jazz concerts), Medieval and Renaissance, Classical and Baroque and the landscapes that
attracted the famous painters: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso and more… Field trips by bus will visit surrounding points of interest, while travelers will stay in Aix for eight nights. Next, a flight from Marseille will carry travelers to Palermo in Sicily for touring from May 25 to June 4, with stays at several different towns — and travel again by private bus. Sicily also has been home to dozens of civilizations, which have left a mark. Khorsand said she had not been there previously and she just returned from an extended visit, where she determined a route, visited ancient cultural sites, towns and prospective hotels and arranged for bus transportation — and built her level of excitement about its wonders. The estimated cost is $3,300, based on double occupancy, assuming the price of the euro doesn’t change dramatically. A deposit of $1,000 will be due by Jan. 15, 2014, so she can reserve hotels and transportation. That amount does not include round trip airfare from Denver to Marseille (probably about $1,000), but Khorsand will be happy to assist with the numerous choices. She thinks some people might want to spend some time in Paris before or after this excursion, for example, and she can help with arrangements. The limit would be 20 travelers, she says, and a minimum of 12 is needed for it to work financially. It might be possible to do one segment or the other as long as the minimum is covered. For more information, contact Khorsand at 720-261-8452, ckhorsand@msn. com
Parade to honor horse history By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com This year’s Parker Christmas Carriage Parade starts at noon Dec. 14. The annual parade down Mainstreet and around the Victorian Drive loop pays homage to Parker’s rich equestrian culture. Every entry involves horses, and the carriages they tow are both elegant and historic. The carriages, many decorated to mark the season, transport dignitaries and equestrian group members from Douglas and Elbert counties along the route. Mayor Mike Waid, who once served as chairman of the parade when it was organized by the Parker Chamber of Commerce, has been both an observer and participant in the annual parade. His fam-
ily looks forward to the event, and Waid is always encouraging newcomers to attend. “They can expect the most enjoyable, Norman Rockwell-style experience they’re going to find,” he said. “It’s one of the quintessential small-town Parker things we do.” The 2013 version promises to be the largest parade yet, with a record number of entries and a massive audience lining the streets. Ice sculptors will carve out their creations and pictures with Santa are available for $5 from 1 to 3 p.m. at O’Brien Park. Also at the park is the “Home for the Holidays Winter Market,” which will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a petting zoo that runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The events provide a “combination of modern lifestyle and equestrian heritage,” Waid said.
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Christmas Magic
Dave Villano’s
A Holiday Concert
Traditional, Celtic & contemporary holiday music featuring 14 of Colorado’s top musicians with special guests guitar virtuoso Dave Beegle and American Idol contestant Devan Jones.
Tickets available at DaveVillano.com and at the door Military, Student, and Senior discounts available!
Thursday Dec. 12, 7PM
Thursday Dec. 19, 7PM
10 South Parkside Drive Colorado Springs
8700 Park Meadows Drive Denver (Lone Tree)
Stargazers Theatre & Events Center
We are a single mom ministry. Our program goal is to educate, empower individuals so they can become employable and attain self-sufficiency. Second Chances Furniture Thrift Store 209 W. Littleton Blvd., #A Littleton, CO 80120
Temple at Agrigento, Sicily, 6th Century B.C. is part of Sicily’s 10,000 years of recorded history. Photo courtesy of Christine Khorsand
www.secondchancesdenver.org
Word of Life Christian Center
16
16 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Fertility experts seek fewer twins Doctors urge patients to use single embryo By Marilynn Marchione Associated Press
Doctors are reporting an epidemic — of twins. Nearly half of all babies born with advanced fertility help are multiple births, new federal numbers show. In the five years since the “Octomom” case, big multiple births have gone way down but the twin rate has barely budged. Twins aren’t always twice as nice; they have much higher risks of prematurity and serious health problems. Now fertility experts are pushing a new goal: One. A growing number of couples are attempting pregnancy with just a single embryo, helped by new ways to pick the ones most likely to succeed. New guidelines urge doctors to stress this approach. Abigail and Ken Ernst of Oldwick, N.J., did this to conceive Lucy, a daughter born in September. Using one embryo at a time “just seemed the most normal, the most natural way” to conceive and avoid a highrisk twin pregnancy, the new mom said. Not all couples feel that way, though. Some can only afford one try with in vitro fertilization, or IVF, so they insist that at least two embryos be used to boost their odds, and view twins as two for the price of one. Many patients “are telling their physicians `I want twins,’” said Barbara Collura,
Castle Rock
president of Resolve, a support and advocacy group. “We as a society think twins are healthy and always come out great. There’s very little reality” about the increased medical risks for babies and moms, she said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent numbers show that 46 percent of IVF babies are multiples — mostly twins — and 37 percent are born premature. By comparison, only 3 percent of babies born without fertility help are twins and about 12 percent are preterm. It’s mostly an American problem — some European countries that pay for fertility treatments require using one embryo at a time. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine is trying to make it the norm in the U.S., too. Its guidelines, updated earlier this year, say that for women with reasonable medical odds of success, those under 35 should be offered single embryo transfer and no more than two at a time. The number rises with age, to two or three embryos for women up to 40, since older women have more trouble conceiving. To add heft to the advice, the guidelines say women should be counseled on the risks of multiple births and embryo transfers and that this discussion should be noted in their medical records. “In 2014, our goal is really to minimize twins,” said Dr. Alan Copperman, medical director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, a Manhattan fertility clinic. “This year I’m talking about two versus one. Several years ago I was talking about
Highlands Ranch
1200 South Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 303.688.3047 www.fumccr.org
Services:
Saturday 5:30pm Sunday 8am, 9:30am, 11am Sunday School 9:15am Little Blessings Day Care www.littleblessingspdo.com
Open and Welcoming
Sunday Worship
“Loving God - Making A Difference”
A place for you
Franktown
Trinity Lutheran Church & School
Sunday Worship 8:00 & 10:45 a.m. Trinity Lutheran School & ELC (Ages 3-5, Grades K-8)
Alongside One Another On Life’s Journey
Parker
Joy
You are invited to worship with us:
8:00 am Chapel Service 9:00 & 10:30 am
www.st-andrew-umc.com
Grace is on the NE Corner of Santa Fe Dr. & Highlands Ranch Pkwy. (Across from Murdochs)
Sunday School 9:00 & 10:30 am
303-798-8485
9203 S. University Blvd. Highlands Ranch, 80126
Littleton
(Next to RTD lot @470 & University)
303-791-3315
pastor@awlc.org www.awlc.org
Sunday
8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
1609 W. Littleton Blvd. (303) 798-1389 • www.fpcl.org
Welcome Home!
Weaving Truth and Relevance into Relationships and Life
worship Time 10:30AM sundays 9:00am Spiritual Formation Classes for all Ages 90 east orchard road littleton, co
303 798 6387
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
Lone Tree
Church of Christ
Currently meeting at: 9220 Kimmer Drive, Suite 200 Lone Tree 80124 303-688-9506 www.LoneTreeCoC.com
Connect – Grow – Serve
Sunday Worship
8:45 am & 10:30 am
Parker
Community Church of Religious Science Sunday services held in the historic Ruth Memorial Chapel at the Parker Mainstreet Center
...19650 E. Mainstreet, Parker 80138
New Thought...Ancient Wisdom Sunday Service
& Children’s Church 10:00 a.m.
Visit our website for details of classes & upcoming events.
303.805.9890
Denver Tech Center
Parker evangelical Presbyterian church
9030 Miller road Parker, Co 80138 303-841-2125 www.pepc.org
Lone Tree
Sunday Worship - 10:00am Bible Study immediately following Wednesday Bible Study - 7:30pm
8391 S. Burnley Ct., Highlands Ranch
Worship Services Sundays at 9:00am
SErviCES:
www.gracecolorado.com
303-841-4660 www.gracepointcc.us www.tlcas.org To advertise your place of worship in this section, call 303-566-4091 or email kearhart@ourcoloradonews.com.
Parker
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN
Sundays at 10:00 am
Sunday Worship 10:30 4825 North Crowfoot Valley Rd. Abiding Word Castle Rock • canyonscc.org Lutheran Church 303-663-5751
roughly equivalent — 61 percent with single embryos and 65 percent with doubles. More than half of the double transfers produced twins but none of the single ones did. Babies from double transfers were more likely to be premature; more than one-third spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit versus 8 percent of the others. Chromosome testing and freezing embryos adds about $4,000 to the roughly $14,000 cost for IVF, “but the pregnancy rates go up dramatically,” and that saves money because fewer IVF attempts are needed, Scott said. Using two or more embryos carries a much higher risk of twins and much higher rates of cerebral palsy and other disorders. After explaining the risks, “this is the easiest thing in the world to convince patients to do,” Scott said of screening and using single embryos. But Dr. Fady Sharara of the Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine in Reston, Va., found otherwise. For a study, he offered 48 couples free medications and embryo freezing if they would agree to transfer one at a time instead of two. Eighteen couples refused, including one-quarter of those whose insurance was covering the treatment. Some who refused said they viewed twins as two for the price of one. “I tell my patients twins are not twice the fun,” Shahara said. “One is hard enough. Two at a time is a killer for some people. Some marriages don’t survive this.”
LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
303-794-2683 Preschool: 303-794-0510
An Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Littleton
First Presbyterian Church of Littleton
First United Methodist Church
Highlands Ranch
three versus two” embryos. The one-at-a-time idea is catching on. Only 4 percent of women under 35 used single embryos in 2007 but nearly 12 percent did in 2011. It’s less common among older women, who account for fewer IVF pregnancies, but it is gaining among them, too. “Patients don’t really want multiples. What they want is high delivery rates,” said Dr. Richard T. Scott Jr., scientific director for Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, which has seven clinics in that state. Better ways to screen embryos can make success rates for single embryos nearly as good as when two or more are used, he contends. The new techniques include maturing the embryos a few days longer. That improves viability and allows cells to be sampled for chromosome screening. Embryos can be frozen to allow test results to come back and more precisely time the transfer to the womb. Taking these steps with single embryos results in fewer miscarriages and tubal pregnancies, healthier babies with fewer genetic defects and lower hospital bills from birth complications, many fertility specialists say. Multiple studies back this up. In May, doctors from the New Jersey clinics did the kind of research considered a gold standard. They randomly assigned 175 women to have either a single embryo transferred after chromosome screening or two embryos with no screening, as is done in most IVF attempts now. Delivery rates were
www.P a r k er C C R S.org P.O. Box 2945—Parker CO 80134-2945
Where people are excited about God’s Word.
Sunday Worship: 10:45AM & 6PM Bible Study: 9:30AM Children, Young People & Adults 4391 E Mainstreet, Parker, Colorado 80134 Church Office – (303) 841-3836
www.parkerbiblechurch.org Meets at the Marriott DTC 4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO 80237
10 am every Sunday Free parking December Study:
The Cast of Christmas Pastor Mark Brewer
Pastor David Fisher Fellowship & Worship: 9:00 am Sunday School: 10:45 am 5755 Valley Hi Drive Parker, CO 303-941-0668
www.SpiritofHopeLCMC.org
United Church Of Christ Parker Hilltop 10926 E. Democrat Rd. Parker, CO • 10am Worship www.uccparkerhilltop.org 303-841-2808
17
Elbert County News 17
December 12, 2013
Crash survivor thanks rescue team Man meets with people who saved his life By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com It might sound cliché, but Roger Dean really does have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. “It was a whole lot of events that individually don’t matter, but came together,” said the Parker resident. On Nov. 29 of last year, Dean was heading to pick up his granddaughter from school in his small Chevy S-10 pickup when a drunk driver changed his life forever. He was stopped at a light along with several other cars when a lifted Ford F250 — a very large pickup — literally ran over his truck. Fortunately, an off-duty lieutenant with South Metro Fire Rescue was a
few cars ahead of Dean and quickly called in the team of first responders that saved his life. Dean was able to thank that team Nov. 20 at Littleton Adventist Hospital, where he stayed for 60 days, when his rescue became a case study for trauma nurses. It was the first time he had been so bluntly presented with his own injuries. “Frankly, I was pretty nervous about coming,” he said. “But I kind of worked myself up to it. I’ve kind of been analytical about it. … It’s a little troublesome, but I’m OK with it.” He listened as the paramedics described how they found him slumped across the bench seat with his head smashed into the passenger window, face crumpled, one eye hanging out of the socket, blood coming out of both ears. Two things were clear: Dean hadn’t been wearing a seatbelt, and getting him out of the vehicle was going to be a challenge. They were clear for the same reason —
at the time, Dean weighed somewhere between 450 and 475 pounds. And perhaps unfortunately for him, he was conscious. “But he had a very calm demeanor, which is great,” said Dusty Stevens, Franktown firefighter. Dean was able to help keep his own airway clear, freeing his rescuers up to get him loaded up and on his way to LAH’s emergency room. “Roger had more anesthetics than I’ve ever seen,” said Kim Muramoto, director of trauma programs. Dean watched as Dr. Mark Elliott showed a graphic video of the procedure he used to try to save his damaged eye. “Sorry, Roger, that it didn’t help,” said Elliott. “That’s OK, you guys did everything you could,” said Dean. Muramoto described the challenges of sending him through the CAT scan, which is rated for 475 pounds. If he were to come into contact with the sides, the
results wouldn’t be usable, and it could be dangerous to him, she said. She personally walked through with him to ensure that didn’t happen. Trauma surgeon Dr. Donald Conner said he placed two operating tables together to work on Dean. He described Dean’s crushed chest, fractured sternum and head injuries. “It’s amazing how God has built the face,” he said. “It’s kind of like a built-in crumple zone. A lot of his scalp was detached from his skull.” He only had to endure one follow-up facial surgery, as it was determined braces would fix the rest of the damage. “I really was blessed,” he said. “Things just went well for me, and I’m appreciative.” Dean says he’s gotten a new outlook on life since the accident, and thinks his sense of humor has gotten better. “He’s a different man,” confirms wife JoDee. “New and improved.”
ties. More specifically, 63 percent received first choice, while 23 percent received their second choice. Graduation for the Air Force Class of 2014 is May 28 at Falcon Stadium. The future career field choices for the Class of 2014, broken down by Air Force Specialty Code, are: * Pilot (92T0) - 456 * Combat Systems Officer (92T1) - 5 * Air Battle Manager (92T2) - 2 * Remote Piloted Aircraft (92T3) - 9 * Special Tactics (13C1) - 3 * Combat Rescue (13D1) - 4 * Air Liaison Officer (13L1) - 6 * Air Field Operations (13M1) - 2 * Nuclear and Missile Operations (13N1) - 2 * Space Operations (13S1) - 19
* Intelligence (14N1) - 52 * Weather (15W1) - 5 * Cyberspace Operations (17D1) - 41 * Operations Research Analyst (61A1) -
* Developmental Engineer - Mechanical (62E1H) - 4 * Civil Engineer (32E1E) - 1 * Civil Engineer (32E1C) - 1 * Civil Engineer - General (32E1G) - 29 * Civil Engineer - Environmental Engineer (32E1J) - 1 * Aircraft Maintenance (21A1) - 24 * Munitions and Missile Maintenance (21M1) - 3 * Logistics Readiness (21R1) - 22 * Security Forces (31P1) - 12 * Public Affairs (35P1) - 5 * Force Support (38P1) - 38 * Health Professions (41A1) - 5 * OSI (71S) - 4 * Acquisition Manager (63A1) - 99 * Contracting (64P1) - 45 * Financial Management (65F1) - 33
Air Force cadets given career assignments Academy’s class of 2014 will be more than pilots By Danny Summers
dsummers@ourcoloradonews.com One of the Air Force Academy’s mottos is “Producing lieutenants for our Air Force and our nation.” Those lieutenants become more than pilots. They are also engineers, contractors and health professionals. The 1,011 cadets in the Air Force Academy’s Class of 2014 learned their future Air Force jobs on Dec. 4. According to information provided by the Academy, 95 percent of cadets received either their first, second or third choice of Air Force special-
20 * Behavioral Science/Human Factors Scientist (61B1) - 4 * Chemist/Nuclear Chemist (61C1) - 4 * Physicist/Nuclear Engineer (61D1) - 5 * Developmental Engineer - Aeronautical (62E1A) - 9 * Developmental Engineer - Astronautical (62E1B) - 9 * Developmental Engineer - Computer Systems (62E1C) - 8 * Developmental Engineer - Electrical/ Electronic (62E1E) - 3 * Developmental Engineer - Project (62E1G) - 17
crossword • sudoku
GALLERY OF GAMES & weekly horoscope
SALOME’S STARS FOR THE WEEK OF DEC 11, 2013
ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 19) Your Arian penchant for impatience shows, as you consider passing a problem-prone project on to someone else. Best advice: Stay with it and work out those snarls yourself. TAURUS (Apr 20 to May 20) Even patient Bovines can be frustrated when carefully made plans go awry. But crank up that “stick-to-it-ivity” you do so well, and you’ll soon find that your schedule is back in sync. GEMINI (May 21 to Jun 20) Your aspect favors using more resourceful means in dealing with a workplace situation. Some discreet checking around could help shed light on the root cause of the problem.
crossword • sudoku & weekly horoscope
GALLERY OF GAMES
CANCER (Jun 21 to Jul 22) You show an unusually strong streak of stubbornness in rejecting suggestions from friends and/or family members early in the week. But you become more receptive by the week’s end. LEO (Jul 23 to Aug 22) The Big Cat might find a gentler approach more effective when dealing with those who resist needed changes. Remember, the word “persuasion” starts with the sound “purr.” VIRGO (Aug 23 to Sept 22) A disappointing experience with someone you felt you could trust can be painful. But there just might be more to this situation than you’re aware of. Press for an explanation. LIBRA (Sept 23 to Oct 22) Changing your views about something you believe in isn’t easy. But you might reconsider as the facts come in. Keep your mind open, even if you’re uneasy about what you might learn. SCORPIO (Oct 23 to Nov 21) You might have to do some serious shifting of gears to get your project back on track. But cheer up. Your hard work starts to produce some positive results by the week’s end. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 to Dec 21) An unsettling mood at the start of the week soon lifts and gives way to a more positive attitude as you find fun and friendship beginning to dominate your aspect. CAPRICORN (Dec 22 to Jan 19) A delay in firming up holiday plans could work to your advantage. Use this time to scout out possibilities that might be more in line with what those close to you would prefer. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 to Feb 18) Some people might question some of the new friends you’ve welcomed into your life. But your ability to see beyond the obvious helps you recognize how special they are. PISCES (Feb 19 to Mar 20) Financial matters can be especially tricky this week. It’s best to follow a conservative investment path for now, and wait for a more fortuitous time to take a bolder approach. BORN THIS WEEK: Your warmth, your humor and your genuine concern for others make you someone people love to keep close to their lives. © 2013 King Features Synd., Inc.
18-Open/Food
18 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
By Metro Creative Connection
T
he holiday season is a festive time of year when opportunities to entertain abound. The search may be on for the ideal food and beverage recipes to tie into the holiday season. Although just about any drink can be given a holiday spin with the right name (think Merry Martinis), you may want to come up with a theme drink that fits with your particular party. Explore these ideas for delicious and festive alcoholic and nonalcoholic options. White Christmas Hot Chocolate 3 cups light cream or half-and-half 3/4 cup vanilla candy melts, chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla Pinch of ground cinnamon 1 ounce Irish cream liqueur Combine 1 cup of the cream with the candy in a saucepan. Melt over low heat, being careful not to burn. Add the remaining cream, vanilla and cinnamon until everything is heated. Add the liqueur and stir. Garnish with more cinnamon. Serve warm. The Candy Cane 1 ounce vodka 1 ounce peppermint schnapps 1/2 ounce heavy cream Dash of grenadine for color Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Pour into glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a candy cane. Sweet Santa Shots 1 ounce Midori liqueur 1/2 ounce grenadine syrup Carefully layer the grenadine syrup and the Midori liqueur in a shot glass to have red and green layers. Holiday Sparkle 2 ounces apple cider 1 ounce club soda Cinnamon stick Mix cider with club soda and serve in a tall glass with a cinnamon stick garnish. A refreshing and nonalcoholic drink option.
19-Open/Food
Elbert County News 19
December 12, 2013
Out-of-the-box themes for your holiday party By Metro Creative Connection Parties are an integral part of the holiday season, when friends and family gather to celebrate and give thanks. For holiday hosts, parties are a great opportunity to make the season even more festive with an event that guests won’t soon forget. The following are just a few themes to make your holiday party as memorable as it is merry. • Christmas sweater party: Christmas sweater parties have grown in popularity over the last decade, when revelers have tried to outdo one another with the most outrageous holiday-themed sweater. Give prizes for the most outlandish sweater and let guests know early on so they can begin their hunt for a holiday sweater that’s so ugly or outrageous you can’t help but love it. • Christmas costume party: Costume parties aren’t just for Halloween. This holiday season, consider making your holiday bash a costume party, encouraging guests to dress up as their favorite characters from holiday tales like “Frosty the Snowman,” “A Christmas Carol” or any of the host of beloved holiday legends. • Caribbean Christmas: The weather
come the holiday season may be the one thing to put a damper on the festivities. To combat blue feelings from potentially inclement weather, consider a Caribbean theme for your holiday party this season. Rather than wearing sweaters and long pants, wear beach attire and give the party a touch of the Caribbean. Outfit your home in beach decor and serve food and drinks reminiscent of the Caribbean instead of more traditional holiday fare like eggnog and gingerbread cookies. • Film festival: Holiday movies are another tradition of the season, so why not invite friends and family over for a holiday film marathon? Include classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story” and encourage guests to submit their own favorites for consideration. • Christmas karaoke: For those who love to belt out their favorite holiday tunes, consider throwing a Christmas karaoke party that allows guests to perform their own renditions of their favorite Christmas carols. Purchase a home karaoke set and ask guests in advance of the party if there are any particular songs they’d like to perform.
20
20 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Disabled teen finds spot on DU roster Pioneers hockey team signs Highlands Ranch youth By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com Adam Encrapera wheeled his chair into the University of Denver locker room following the Pioneers’ 3-1 victory over Air Force Nov. 23 at Magness Arena. Immediately, cheers erupted from the DU hockey team and a chant of “Adam, Adam, Adam,” quickly gained steam. The Pioneers were now 1-0 with their newest teammate — a 14-year-old Highlands Ranch youth who is one of just 500 people worldwide known to have Alstrom syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects every organ in the body with exception of the brain. Adam was diagnosed with AS at age 3. Legally blind and hard of hearing, the Cresthill Middle School eighth-grader has had fierce battles with liver disease and diabetes, has experienced countless seizures, had heart and kidney problems, had two back surgeries and spends his nights in bed hooked up to a breathing machine. In the past three years alone, he has also had just shy of 20 trips to the emergency room. On Nov. 19, in a special ceremony, he signed a letter of intent to become an hon-
orary member of the Pioneers for the duration of the 2013-14 season, in which he will not just attend games, but get to be part of pre- and post-game activities with the team. “Adam is a local kid, likes hockey, is a big sports fan and it just seemed like a good fit for us, something all the guys are really excited about getting involved with,” said DU sophomore defenseman Wade Bennett, who is recovering from an injury and watched the Air Force game with Adam and his family in the stands. “We are truly initiating him into the Pioneer family,” Bennett continued. “It’s meant to be a friendship. He is one of our brothers now and we want to bring him as much joy as we can when he is around the rink and be there for him when things maybe aren’t going so well for him off the ice.” Adam has his own stall in the Pioneer locker room, nameplate and all, and was also given a No. 99 jersey. He said he is still getting to know all the guys’ names and doesn’t have a favorite player yet, but so far the experience has been special. “I’m going to try to get to many games as I can,” said Adam, who can’t hear without his hearing aids and listens to the game on his headphones while at the rink. A former adaptive hockey player, Adam used to use a hockey stick as a cane when he was little. And while he has spent a lot of
Cresthill Middle School eighth-grader Adam Encrapera ( 99) celebrates the University of Denver hockey team’s 3-1 win over Air Force Nov. 23 in the Pioneer locker room. Encrapera, who is living with Alstrom Syndrome, signed a letter of intent with the team Nov. 19 and is the squad’s newest honorary member. Photo by Ryan Boldrey time around his older brother Luke’s hockey and baseball teams, he has never truly had a team of his own, until now. “Every day is a challenge,” said his mother, Susan Encrapera. “When you can balance it with something that can give him hope, it encourages him and makes him
Colorado’s Energy Resources Advanced at Colorado - Texas Energy Day in Houston Colorado has a rich and varied history in the extraction of natural resources. Fossil fuels are a natural resource which have recently seen a huge increase in development throughout the state due to advances in technology and increased global demand. At the forefront of this new mineral wealth is the production of shale oil available through new horizontal drilling and fracturing technologies. In November, the Houston chapter of the American Petroleum Institute (API) paid homage to Colorado as a key state for future oil & gas production and the South Metro Denver Chamber played a major role in the proceedings. Colorado - Texas Energy Day at the Petroleum Club of Houston included oil & gas vendor exhibits, an oil & gas executive roundtable, and the API luncheon moderated by Chamber President and CEO John Brackney with over 300 oil & gas executives present, including a contingent of South Metro Denver Chamber leaders. Sponsored by CAP Logistics, the Chamber delegation included Jacob Lorenz (Risk and Chance), Jim McGrath (Studley), Tom Wood (Willbros Construction), Torie Brazitis (City of Lone Tree), Howard Dieter (Rettew Associates), Dan Killeen (RK Mechanical), Andrew Casper (Colorado Oil and Gas Association), Jason Hallmark (Hallmark Photos), Patty Rodvold (WhippleWood CPAs), Gayle Dendinger (CAP Logistics), Emily Haggstrom (CAP Logistics), John Boner (CAP Logistics), Detlev Simonis (CAP Logistics), and Nancy Vorderstrass (CAP Logistics), Jeff Holwell (COO, South Metro Denver Chamber), John Brackney (President and CEO, South Metro Denver Chamber) and Colleen Schwake (South Metro Denver Chamber). Keynote speakers for the luncheon were Bob Fryklund, Chief Upstream Strategist for IHS and Jerry Eumont, Managing Director-Consulting, Energy & Natural Resources for IHS. Fryklund spoke on Colorado’s Energy, an Unconventional Renaissance, and Eumont spoke on the continued leadership of Texas in the industry. Throughout the day, the Colorado delegation met with several local oil & gas executives allowing them to focus on the state’s future in energy production. “This event was a great opportunity for the Chamber to showcase Colorado and a major South Metro Denver employer to the oil & gas
Calendar of Events
For a complete calendar of South Metro Denver Chamber events or more information, visit our web site at www.bestchamber.com or call 303-795-0142. Thursday, December 12th: Littleton Business Coalition Location TBD STEM-EC: Denver School of Science & Technology Site Visit DSST: Cole Middle School Campus, 3240 Humboldt St., Denver Left to right, front row: Jacob Lorenz (Risk and Chance), Jim McGrath (Studley), Tom Wood (Willbros Construction), Jerry Eumont (I.H.S), Colleen Schwake (South Metro Denver Chamber), Bob Fryklund (I.H.S), Torie Brazitis (City of Lone Tree), Andrew Casper (Colorado Oil and Gas Association) Left to right, back row: Jason Hallmark (Hallmark Photos), Patty Rodvold (WhippleWood CPAs), Gayle Dendinger (CAP Logistics), Jeff Holwell (South Metro Denver Chamber), John Brackney (South Metro Denver Chamber), Emily Haggstrom (CAP Logistics), John Boner (CAP Logistics), Detlev Simonis (CAP Logistics), Nancy Vorderstrass (CAP Logistics) Not pictured: Howard Dieter (Rettew Associates), Dan Killeen (RK Mechanical)
community of Texas. We were honored to be leading this effort in promoting our state to such an influential audience,” said Chamber COO and Director of Economic Development, Jeff Holwell. “Our CEO John Brackney and board member Gayle Dendinger of CAP Logistics were able to advocate on behalf of Colorado as a place to do business. Despite the politics of oil & gas fracturing, we are a strong energy state and we are open for business.” “Colorado has the opportunity to become a major player in the oil shale revolution and it will become an important economic driver for the state. The Chamber is honored to continue our collaboration with the energy industry. We will persist in our recruitment and advocacy and build Colorado’s energy portfolio including fossil fuels and renewable energy.”
MSU Denver Establishes Dual Enrollment Nursing Partnership with Community Colleges In an effort to establish new cost-effective education alternatives for Colorado nursing students, Metropolitan State University of Denver has partnered with Arapahoe Community College (ACC) and Front Range Community College (FRCC) to offer a dual-enrollment option that enables students to graduate in four years with a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). “Employers are showing a hiring preference for graduates who have a BSN degree,” says Linda Stroup, associate chair of the MSU Denver Department of Nursing. “This initiative provides students with one of the most efficient and cost-effective pathways in the metro area for securing a bachelor’s degree in nursing.” In 2010, the Institute of Medicine issued a report recommending that the proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees increase from 50 to 80 percent by 2020. Based on projected nursing retirements and current graduation rates from Colorado universities, there is work to be done to address that goal, Stroup says. The RN-BSN dual-enrollment initiative will allow students to complete certain BSN elective credits at MSU Denver while finishing the required prerequisite courses from the nursing programs at their designated home school―ACC or FRCC. Once students complete their associate degrees in nursing and have accumulated 79 combined prerequisite credits, they will transition to MSU Denver to complete their BSN coursework. “We are excited about the partnership with MSU Denver and the pathway we are creating for ACC nursing students to achieve a BSN degree,” says Geri Rush, ACC director of nursing. “South metro area hospitals such as Sky Ridge Medical Center and Littleton Adventist Hospital have expressed great enthusiasm for the program and potential for clinical placements in these hospitals.” One unique advantage of the dual-enrollment program is the ability for students to secure financial aid toward classes taken at both the community college and MSU Denver. The home school will disburse financial aid for both institutions simultaneously. Previously under other similar arrangements, federal financial aid rules dictated aid could be applied only to a student’s home school coursework.
feel like part of something. It helps him get through rough times.” Now, thanks to Team IMPACT — the national nonprofit organization that made the match — and the Pioneers hockey team, Adam has 25 new brothers to help him through those rough times.
“This creates a seamless transfer for our students, especially those on financial aid,” said Sandy Veltri, FRCC associate vice president for student and academic services. “Together with our current associateto-bachelor’s degree partnership with MSU Denver, this new initiative creates even more opportunities for students.” “There is a national focus to help students better ensure academic credit transfers and we want to give students as many options as possible to obtain their degree in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” says Eric Dunker, MSU Denver Extended Campus director. “We have more than 100 courses to meet BSN general studies requirements, with classes available at multiple campuses, online or hybrid alternatives to meet each student’s needs.” MSU Denver will provide students with academic advisors to help them choose electives that will allow for degree completion in four years. Current students can access the program immediately, and the official rollout for new students will begin in Spring 2014. In addition to taking classes at MSU Denver’s primary downtown Denver campus, the University offers students satellite campus locations in Greenwood Village and Northglenn. For more information about the program visit http://www. msudenver.edu/nursing/programinformation/dualenrollment/ This program complements MSU Denver’s existing baccalaureatelevel nursing program in the Department of Health Professions, which also houses academic programs in gerontology, heath care management, human nutrition and dietetics, integrative therapies and recreation professions. MSU Denver’s baccalaureate nursing program has received full reaccreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), formerly the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). At its July 2013 meeting, the Board of Commissioners granted continuing accreditation to the program for eight years, the maximum time allowed. The first post-baccalaureate students graduated from MSU Denver’s medical laboratory science program in June 2013. The program was previously operated by the Colorado Health Foundation and is now managed by MSU Denver’s Extended Campus.
Centennial Business Coalition: Meet the Centennial City Council The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial E.L.I.T.E.: Executive Brain Tank with Adam Schlegel, CFO/CSO Snooze Eatery Snooze, Streets at SouthGlenn, 6781 S. York St., Centennial Chamber Health & Wellness Initiative / Women in Leadership Speaker Series The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Friday, December 13th: 27th Annual Economic Forecast Breakfast: Creating a Thriving Community Hyatt Regency DTC, 7800 E. Tufts Ave., Denver Behind the Scenes Tour of CSU Powerhouse Energy Campus 430 S. College Ave., Fort Collins Saturday, December 14th: Grand Opening of Kaiser Permanente Lone Tree Offices 10240 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree Monday, December 16th: Save Lives & Sort Medical Supplies with Project C.U.R.E. 10337 East Geddes Ave., Centennial Tuesday, December 17th: Business Bible Study The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Business Leaders for Responsible Government Board of Advisors The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Wednesday, December 18th: Economic Development Group Board of Advisors The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Southwest Metro Business Alliance Holiday Meeting Location TBD South Metro Denver Chamber Legislative Reception Location being finalized Thursday, December 19th: E.L.I.T.E. Board of Advisors The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial Friday, December 20th: Energy & Sustainable Infrastructure Council Board of Advisors The Chamber Center, 2154 E. Commons Ave., Suite 342, Centennial
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ElbertSPORTS
21 Elbert County News December 12, 2013
Cardinals Confident about future
Strong group of wrestlers ready for good season By Scott Stocker
Special to Colorado Community Media
Elizabeth’s Gavril Houston has his eyes virtually set on winning an individual state wrestling championship this season. And, a title in the Class 4A tournament in 2014 is certainly not out of reach. 1 win Houston, an agile senior, was able to finof ish third in last season’s tournament, culminating with a 44-8 record at 120 pounds. As the season gets underway he will be at 126 pounds with plans to drop to 120 after the m getend of the year. “I’m confident that it’s going to be a e na-good season, not only for myself but for e theour team,” Houston said. “Last year was a eam,good year for me and I’m looking forward himto a successful one this season. I thought I improved a lot last year and I want that effort to carry over. “The key is to work hard every time out at practice in our room and at meets,” Houston said. “We’re going to be stronger than last year, for sure. I’m looking for the season to get off with a bang. Guys like Rob and John Leonard, Josh Lee, Dallas Reins will be keys, too, but we’ve got a good lineup overall.” Not only is Houston confident it’s going to be a good season, but so is Elizabeth coach Gary Martin. “We certainly have a good group this season,” Martin said. “Right now, I think Gav has the best chance of being a state champion, but we would certainly hope to have more than one. Gav is headed for the Air Force Academy and he should be able to wrestle there, as well. He’s one of the smartest kids that I’ve ever coached and just an outstanding leader for us. I’m excited and we’ll just have to see how the season works out. All the kids are ready to go, that’s for sure.” Tyler Erzen, at 106, is also a strong wrestler and good things should come from the Leonards, Reins and Kevin Pardes. Erzen and John Leonard are also returning state qualifiers, Erzen at 106 and John Leonard at 152. Both hope to improve as they both failed to place. “Rob Leonard had a concussion right before Christmas last season and he was just
Elizabeth High senior Gavril Houston, practicing with Cardinals teammates on Nov. 26, is one of the preseason favorites in the 120-pound weight class. Photo by George Lurie one match short of qualifying for state,” Martin said. “Overall, we didn’t lose much in terms of quality. It’s my 10th year here and as a team, this is probably the strongest I’ve been able to welcome back.” Reins fashioned a pretty solid season a year ago and he, too, feels more success is just around the corner. “I think we’re going to be pretty strong this season,” Reins said. “I was 27-9 last year and would certainly like a better record as well as having a chance to win a state title. I’ll be at 285 this season. I have some fine
teammates and I do think we can send a large contingent to state.” John Leonard, who will be wrestling at 160 as the season gets underway, feels the team is first and foremost on his mind. “I want to do all I can to help make this a successful season,” Leonard said. “I think we can place among the top three with our team and I hope to make it back to state, too. I feel strong, confident. We all just want to make our coach feel proud. “The key is not to have a big head and to keep calm, do the right things and not
make a lot of mistakes,” continued Leonard. “I’m looking forward to also having my brother at state with me. That would make it 10 times more fun. We’ve got a good group and coach is certainly behind all of us.” And, it’s a group that Martin feels can make for a great season. “Overall, we didn’t lose much in terms of quality,” Martin said. “It’s my 10th year here and as a team, this is probably the strongest I’ve been able to welcome back. We have the kids that are ready to make the trip downtown (tradition in Denver).”
Ponderosa wrestling program among best Mustangs have won 10 state championships By Jim Benton
jbenton@ourcoloradonews.com Corey McNellis was a two-time Colorado wrestling champion at Ponderosa. His older brother Chris was the Mustangs’ first-ever state champ. The McNellis brothers are part of Ponderosa’s wrestling program that has been one of the state’s best over the past two decades. Ponderosa wrestlers have won 10 state championships, one less than Holly, Wray and Montrose that have collected the most in Colorado. The Mustangs hold the state record by winning eight consecutive state championships. The Mustangs, who were the Class 5A runners-up last season, will be seeking their 20th consecutive Continental League title in the 2013-14 campaign and will be attempting to stretch a streak of 160 straight league dual meet victories. “We lost dual meets but they have been
outside of the league,” explained former wrestling coach Tim Ottmann, who is now the Mustangs’ athletic director. “We had some really good teams in the early ‘90s and won some state championships. “Years and years ago we built a feeder system. We have a real good junior wrestling program and it feeds the high school program. You talk about teams that have to rebuild and we just reloaded with incoming talent. No team wants to be the one that loses a dual meet. It’s important to them. But we’ve also been fortunate to have enough kids because you have to fill 14 weight classes.” The names of Ottmann, who coached seven years at Burges High School in El Paso, Texas, and Ponderosa are sprinkled throughout the Colorado High School Activities Association’s wrestling records. Ottmann, the 2008 National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year, ranks second in best dual meet record at one school (125-12) and first in best dual meet career record (170-22). After the 2008 season, Ottmann handed over the reins of the Ponderosa program to Corey McNellis.
Five of Ponderosa’s six returning state qualifiers take a break from wrestling practice in front of the Wall of Champions. From left to right are Kade Snider, Tanner Olson, Dylan Gabel, Kelton Good and Tory Williams. Missing was Zachery Moye. Photo by Jim Benton “It’s been really fun to build it over the years and hand it over to Corey,” said Ottmann. “It has been a dream come true. I’m really proud of it and want to see it continue. “My son Jake wrestled for me and he graduated in 2008. The last match I ever coached was my son in the finals, which was really cool. But Jake and I had decided. He graduated and I turned it over. I coached for 25 years and that was enough.” In McNellis’ first season as head coach,
Ponderosa almost lost a league dual meet. The Mustangs and Chaparral tied 33-33 but Ponderosa won on criteria by winning eight of the 14 matches. McNellis and his wrestlers feel the Continental winning streak provides a motivation. “It motivates them the way that we present it,” said McNellis. “Every team is Wrestling continues on Page 22
22-Color
22 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
Free throws can be arc of triumph Basketball players work on key element of game By Jim Benton
jbenton@ourcoloradonews.com The outcome of many basketball games is decided from 15 feet away from the basket. “Free-throw shooting is one of the most important things in winning a basketball game,” said Valor Christian senior Garrett Baggett, who made 82 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe last season. “If you miss 10 free throws and lose by two points, if you had made five of 10 you win the game.” Coaches substitute late in games not only to get good defensive or offensive players on the floor, but also to get better freethrow shooters in the lineup. “It always comes down to free throws,” said Highlands Ranch coach Bob Caton.
Wrestling Continued from Page 21
different. It gives them confidence that the coaches know what they are doing and the program is a well-run machine that they need to buy into and if they do, they are going to have success. “We really set our goals higher to do well at the national and state level and then the league stuff kind of falls in place.” Ponderosa has crowned 35 individual state champions and 10 wrestlers earned All-America honors. “It’s the program and not just the team,” added McNellis. “If we can get them bought in, then that’s when you reload instead of rebuild. “Success breeds success. When they build confidence it helps them. We also build our schedule so we see top competi-
“Sometimes not just making a free throw but getting a lot of free throws too.” Valor Christian coach Ronnie DeGray tries to make sure his players have their feet correctly aligned and their shooting methods are correct. After that, it us up to the player. Coaches have numerous approaches such as free-throw ladders, team competition and other shooting drills with awards and the usual running punishment to put pressure on players to make free throws during practice. Free-throw shooting provides a chunk of almost every basketball practice. “We like players to get comfortable,” explained Caton. “Every kid when he shoots a free throw should have a pattern, whatever they like to do. Then you want to have the good form, the proper form. One thing you don’t do, if a kid is making a good percent of his free throws, you leave him alone. If he is not making a good percent of his free throws, then you work with him. Then you want repetition, where everything becomes
a habit.” Baggett made 63 of 76 free-throw attempts and is one of the best returning south metro area boys players in free throw percentage. “I have a routine I do before every freethrow shot,” said Baggett. “I’ll walk to the top of the key, look at the rim a little bit, catch the ball and get a feel for it, take three dribbles to get in a rhythm, eyes on the rim and shoot it.” The waving and other methods students use to distract free-throw shooters doesn’t bother Baggett. “All the waving doesn’t usually bother me because I have my head down when I dribble so at the last second is when I pull up, look at the rim and shoot it,” he said. “So I really don’t see all that when I shoot the ball. “It depends on the situation if I think about the importance of a free throw. If it’s a close game, I’ll think a little bit more. I just think about it like any other shot, it’s a routine that I’ve always had.”
tion during the year. You have to build your schedule so it’s tough so you see the best.” McNellis is one of several combinations of brothers who have wrestled for Ponderosa and won state titles. Dylan Gabel, the defending 170-pound state champion, and Kade Snider are two Mustangs with brothers who captured state crowns and are on the current Ponderosa team. “It’s really cool,” said Ottmann. “We’ve had multiple brothers come through, in some cases like the Snider family they have six or seven in the family and of course Kade is still with us. It’s been a real good long tradition of family. They have come through.” Returning state champions Returning south metro-area qualifiers for the 2013 state wrestling tournament with last season’s weights: 106 - Frank Martinez, Chaparral; Bradley Colebank, Mountain Vista; Caleb Strahan, Legend
113 - JT Stancil, Chaparral; Kade Snider, Ponderosa; Matt Finesilver, Cherry Creek 120 - Mitch Finesilver, Cherry Creek 126 - Zachery Moye, Ponderosa; Zach Finesilver, Cherry Creek 132 - Jared Todd, Heritage; Ben Trygstad, Chaparral 145 — Tory Williams, Ponderosa; Aaron Trygstad, Chaparral 152 - Mason Harms, Cherry Creek; Jake Tarr, Chaparral; Kelton Good, Ponderosa 160 - Kaleb Geiger, Castle View; Max Lavigne, ThunderRidge; Tanner Olson, Ponderosa 170 - Hudson Marker, Castle View; Dylan Gabel, Ponderosa 182 - Jaylen Mosqueira, Arapahoe 195 - Matthew Stanley, ThunderRidge; Zach Waanders, Arapahoe 285 - Joe Hunsaker, Castle View; Dane Drimmer, Chaparral; Blake Jacobs, ThunderRidge; Jamin Smith, Douglas County
Prep sports Scoreboard ELIZABETH HIGH SCHOOL Boys Basketball Elizabeth 74, Pueblo Central 82 Elizabeth opened up the basketball season with an even 2-2 record. Their first two games were victories against Widefield and Montrose 90-71 and 92-81, respectively. They lost against Golden 80-70 and Pueblo Central 82-74.
Girls basketball Elizabeth 56, D’Evelyn 52 Elizabeth barely beat D’Evelyn in a 56-52 win. Senior Tatum Neubert led the team with 26 points and senior Sabra Ross had 12 points. Neubert made eight free throws out of nine attempts.
UPCOMING GAMES Boys basketball FRIDAY 7 p.m. - Elizabeth @ Coronado TUESDAY 7 p.m. - Elizabeth @ Evergreen
Girls basketball THURSDAY 4 p.m. - Elizabeth vs. Discovery Canyon FRIDAY 4 p.m. - Elizabeth vs. Montrose TUESDAY 7 p.m. - Elizabeth vs. Mesa Ridge
PREP SPORTS SCOREBOARD Would you like to see your team on the board? Contact sports reporter Kate Ferraro at kferraro@ourcoloradonews.com. Or go to ourcoloradonews.com and click on the prep sports logo.
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Elbert County News 23
December 12, 2013
Gene therapy scores big wins Procedure used to fight blood cancers By Marilynn Marchione
Associated Press
In one of the biggest advances against leukemia and other blood cancers in many years, doctors are reporting unprecedented success by using gene therapy to transform patients’ blood cells into soldiers that seek and destroy cancer. A few patients with one type of leukemia were given this one-time, experimental therapy several years ago and some remain cancer-free today. Now, at least six research groups have treated more than 120 patients with many types of blood and bone marrow cancers, with stunning results. “It’s really exciting,” said Dr. Janis Abkowitz, blood diseases chief at the University of Washington in Seattle and president of the American Society of Hematology. “You can take a cell that belongs to a patient and engineer it to be an attack cell.” In one study, all five adults and 19 of 22 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, had a complete remission, meaning no cancer could be found after treatment, although a few have relapsed since then. These were gravely ill patients out of options. Some had tried multiple bone marrow transplants and up to 10 types of chemotherapy or other treatments. Cancer was so advanced in 8-year-old Emily Whitehead of Philipsburg, Pa., that doctors said her major organs would fail within days. She was the first child given the gene therapy and shows no sign of cancer today, nearly two years later. Results on other patients with myeloma, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, will be reported at the hematology group’s conference that starts Saturday in New Orleans. Doctors say this has the potential to become the first
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gene therapy approved in the United States and the first for cancer worldwide. Only one gene therapy is approved in Europe, for a rare metabolic disease. The treatment involves filtering patients’ blood to remove millions of white blood cells called T-cells, altering them in the lab to contain a gene that targets cancer, and returning them to the patient in infusions over three days. “What we are giving essentially is a living drug” — permanently altered cells that multiply in the body into an army to fight the cancer, said Dr. David Porter, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who led one study. Several drug and biotech companies are developing these therapies. Penn has patented its method and licensed it to Switzerland-based Novartis AG. The company is building a research center on the Penn campus in Philadelphia and plans a clinical trial next year that could lead to federal approval of the treatment as soon as 2016. Talking with the researchers, “there is a sense of making history ... a sense of doing something very unique,” said Hervé Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, the division leading the work. Lee Greenberger, chief scientific officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, agreed. “From our vantage point, this looks like a major advance,” he said. “We are seeing powerful responses ... and time will tell how enduring these remissions turn out to be.” The group has given $15 million to various researchers testing this approach. Nearly 49,000 new cases of leukemia, 70,000 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 22,000 cases of myeloma are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2013. Many patients are successfully treated with chemotherapy or bone marrow or stem cell transplants, but transplants are risky and donors can’t always be found. So far, gene therapy has been tried on people who were in danger of dying because other treatments failed. The gene therapy must be made individually for each patient, and lab costs now are about $25,000, without a profit margin. That’s still less than many drugs to treat
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these diseases and far less than a transplant. The treatment can cause severe flu-like symptoms and other side effects, but these have been reversible and temporary, doctors say. Penn doctors have treated the most cases so far — 59. Of the first 14 patients with CLL, four had complete remissions, four had partial ones and the rest did not respond. However, some partial responders continue to see their cancer shrink a year after treatment. “That’s very unique to this kind of therapy” and gives hope the treatment may still purge the cancer, said Porter. Another 18 CLL patients were treated and half have responded so far. Penn doctors also treated 27 ALL patients. All five adults and 19 of the 22 children had complete remissions, an “extraordinarily high” success rate, said Dr. Stephan Grupp at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Six have since relapsed, though, and doctors are pondering a second gene therapy attempt. At the National Cancer Institute, Dr. James Kochenderfer and others have treated 11 patients with lymphoma and four with CLL, starting roughly two years ago. Six had complete remissions, six had partial ones, one has stable disease and it’s too soon to tell for the rest. Ten other patients were given gene therapy to try to kill leukemia or lymphoma remaining after bone marrow transplants. These patients got infusions of gene-treated blood cells from their transplant donors instead of using their own blood cells. One had a complete remission and three others had significant reduction of their disease. “They’ve had every treatment known to man. To get any responses is really encouraging,” Kochenderfer said. The cancer institute is working with a Los Angeles biotech firm, Kite Pharma Inc., on its gene therapy approach. Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will report on 13 patients with ALL; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will report about twodozen patients with ALL or lymphoma, and Baylor University will give results on 10 patients with lymphoma or myeloma.
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24 Elbert County News
December 12, 2013
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