Lone tree voice 1219 by Colorado Community Media

December 19, 2013 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 12, Issue 49 A publication of

lonetreevoice.net

WOUNDED WARRIORS

Victim fighting for life By Chris Rotar and Jennifer Smith Staff writers

A girl is comforted by a friend outside Shepherd of the Hills Church after the shootings at Arapahoe High School on Dec. 13. Tearful reunions were a common sight at the church, where parents were instructed to pick up their kids. Photo by Chris Michlewicz

Shooting shakes community Staff report One minute and 20 seconds changed lives forever. A girl shot in the head, left in critical condition. A young man dead by his own hand, his own gun, after bringing horror to the hallways of his school. Shaken teenagers filed out of the school into the cold, some barefoot. Family and friends wondered if their loved ones had been hurt, or worse. On Dec. 13, a community was left disturbed, heartbroken, changed. Arapahoe High School, home of the Warriors, was a crime scene for nearly three days. The shooting in Centennial came a day before the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass slayings and less than 10 miles from where the Columbine massacre occurred more than 14 years ago. This gunman’s target, by most accounts, was a member of the school’s faculty who reportedly had laid down discipline against the student. But Karl Pierson, a Highlands Ranch resident, was prepared to take out more than one man along the way, authorities believe. Many more. Like a lot of Arapahoe students, Pierson carried a backpack into school Dec. 13. His, however, was filled with three explosive devices — Molotov cocktails. Pierson also carried a machete and plenty of ammunition for his pump-action shotgun, the weapon he used to change the life of student Claire Davis, who clings to that life in a local hospital. Pierson purchased the firearm on Dec. 6 at a local retail outlet, legal because he was 18 years old, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. He had purchased at least some of the ammunition the morning of the shooting. Davis, 17, may have just been in the way — it’s not clear if Pierson even knew the fellow senior at the school of more than 2,000 students. Pierson’s ultimate goal, the sheriff says, was

They sit near each other in Spanish class, but Kaylee Eastridge says she doesn’t know Claire Davis well. “She’s quiet, but she’s very friendly,” Eastridge, a junior at Arapahoe High School, said. “I know she has a lot of friends.” That was apparent to anyone visiting Arapahoe High the afternoon of Dec. 15. Signs of support were everywhere for Davis, the 17-year-old Arapahoe senior who two days earlier was shot in the head at point-blank range. Davis was in critical condition, in a coma, at Littleton Adventist Hospital as of Dec. 16. At the high school on Dec. 15, paper cups jammed between holes in a fence were arranged to say “Pray 4 Claire.” Hanging from the same fence, just a few feet away, was a Christmas stocking. On the ground below rested bouquets of flowers. It wasn’t immediately known who was behind the kind gestures or when they occurred, but it’s clear the community is united in its hope for a recovery for Davis, known for being a sweet person and for her love of horses. According to Davis’ Facebook page, she’s a member of the Colorado Hunter Jumper Association and attended Vellshire Riding School. Davis was shot by Karl Pierson, an Arapahoe student, who about a minute later, killed himself. Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson believes a faculty member and not Davis was the primary target, but that Pierson, 18, was prepared to kill as many people as possible. Pierson entered the school from the north entrance, near the library. He quickly encountered Davis, who never had a chance to get away, the sheriff Victim continues on Page 14

Arapahoe High School students file out of the Centennial school after being evacuated Dec. 13 following a shooting at the school. Photo by George Lurie to kill Tracy Murphy, the coach of the speech and debate team, a librarian. They had a disagreement and Pierson made threats in September that were reported to authorities. Here’s what the sheriff said happened in 80 seconds: Around 12:30 p.m., Dec. 13, Pierson entered the school through a door adjacent to the library on the north side of the building and immediately shot a random round down a hallway. He then walked up to Davis and shot her point blank. Murphy, made aware he was a likely target, was quickly warned of the gunman’s presence and made his way out of the school to safety. Pierson wasn’t hiding his shotgun or his intentions as he approached the library. Pierson then took another random shot, went directly to the library and set off one of the bombs, which set at least three bookshelves on fire. He shot another round, but by now he could hear school resource officer James Englert — an Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputy — heading toward him at full speed. Robinson said the resource officer, along

with an unarmed security guard and two administrators, heard the first shot and immediately began running from the cafeteria to the library. The resource officer was screaming at students to get down and identifying himself as a deputy sheriff as he hustled toward the threat — he “went to the thunder,” Robinson said. As soon as Pierson heard the commotion coming toward him, he walked to a corner and shot himself. The sheriff called the quick response by the school resource officer and the others “heroic” and said it likely saved many lives. “(Pierson) wanted to hurt multiple people,” the sheriff said. “His intent was evil.” The threat was over in one minute and 20 seconds, investigators determined after viewing security camera footage. But the chaos was just getting started.

Claire Esther Davis, shown here in a photo provided by her family to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, remained in critical condition from a gunshot wound as of Dec. 16.

Tears, fear, relief

Even after Pierson shot himself to death, Shooting continues on Page 14

Printed on recycled newsprint. Please recycle this copy.

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2 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

Websites reloaded and relaunched Dear Lone Tree reader, I am pleased to announce the next time you log on to read your local news, things will look a bit different, and we think better. The Colorado Community Media team, the joint venture that publishes the Lone Tree Voice and 23 other community newspapers and news websites, has been working hard to bring you an easier-to-navigate website with richer content in 2014. You can now find the Lone Tree Voice online at LoneTreeVoice.net. Some of the most visited pages are those for celebrations, announcements and memorials. The new site will rotate announcements right on the home page, making them easier to read and navigate. The redesign also allows for more head-

lines to display on the homepage, making your community news more accessible and your reading experience more enjoyable, fulfilling and informative. Please send us your family milestones so we can share them with the community Healey and on our website. Short notices are free. For a small fee, you can add photos and lots more copy. You’ll notice both the printed newspaper flag and the website’s header have been updated to reflect the new web address. We did this to show consistency throughout the Colorado Community Media suite of newspapers and media sites while still re-

flecting our commitment to each individual community’s news by customizing each flag and header with a community-specific icon. You can easily shop advertising on our new website. We make it easy to find local deals, services and more. By supporting businesses that advertise with us, you are indirectly supporting the Lone Tree Voice too. Go to LoneTreeVoice.net and click the “Local Print Ads” link or “ShopLocalColorado” link to get started. All of our content is now loaded on the website. Now it is your choice as to how to read the Lone Tree Voice. Print, on your computer, phone or tablet. All the same great information, no matter the method. Plus, we upload all of print ads online too.

After all, that is information too and this is an added value for our advertisers. Look for local ads next to every story page you read. I hope you enjoy your online experience with us and find the new layout and information helpful and engaging. Community newspapers like ours continue to thrive both online and in print because we cover the news that is closest and most meaningful to home. We are proud of the news and events we are able to deliver to you each week and of the support our readers continue to show our community through your patronage of advertisers, their services and events that help to make our local communities healthy and strong. Here’s to a prosperous 2014! — Jerry Healey, publisher

Kids raise money to fight hunger 8-year-old heads club, helps raise $1,250 By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com Nearly every kid gets an idea for a clever scheme that’s sure to make money, only for it to be thwarted by a short attention span. Not these kids. Devised by Prairie Crossing Elementary School second-grader TJ Berry, the Kids Club has staged four fundraisers and racked up more than $1,250. But the money isn’t for keeps. It’s going to feed underprivileged families in Colorado. As his mom, Heather, tells it, TJ randomly brought up the idea in the car one day: he wanted to raise money for those who can’t afford food or medicine. With mom’s support, TJ tapped his 5-year-old

brother, Noah, and recruited a few neighborhood kids in Bradbury Ranch to help in the planning. The Kids Club, as it became known, convened strategy meetings with 15 kids ranging in age from 3 to 8. A few months later, they had raised roughly $500 from a garage sale, a neighborhood movie night and three doughnut and coffee stands at garage sales. After some careful research, TJ decided the money should go to Hunger Free Colorado, a nonprofit that reaches families struggling to put food on the table. In turn, the organization honored his efforts by giving him one of their signature plates and praising his fundraising on Facebook. The thrill of making a difference proved to be motivating, and the Kids Club set out to plan its most successful venture yet: a movie 10.25 in. night at Prairie Crossing Elementary that drew 60 kids and raised $750

earlier this month. Again, TJ made sure the money went to Hunger Free Colorado, which made a presentation at the movie night that showed the kids how their money was being used. “What an inspiration he is, showing us what one person, and in this case, what one 8-year-old can do to make a difference,” said Michelle Ray, Hunger Free Colorado spokeswoman. The fact that one child’s idea caught on is perhaps the most encouraging part of the Kids Club, Heather Berry said. The visionary youth are empowering themselves to make a difference, and their parents are simply the “details” people, she added. TJ, the enterprising idea man behind it all, remains humble amidst the attention, and continues to forge ahead. He has designed the group’s logo and promotional fliers and is continuing

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Prairie Crossing Elementary student TJ Berry, 8, shows his excitement over the amount of money he helped collect for Hunger Free Colorado. TJ leads the Kids Club, which has organized four fundraisers to fight hunger. Courtesy photo to plan the next move. “He’s very caring and he’s always looking for ways to help people,” his mom said.

Based on a few simple calculations, it’s estimated that the money raised by the Kids Club has provided 750 meals.

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Lone Tree Voice 3

December 19, 2013

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December 19, 2013

Middle schooler struggles with MS Highlands Ranch mom calls her son’s fight inspiring By Jane Reuter

jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com Rickey Cooper has spent much of the last several months feeling numb from the chest down, enduring pain so intense his mother has packed him in ice to diffuse it. The 13-year-old Highlands Ranch boy, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, still attends classes at Mountain Ridge Middle School. A former football player, Rickey uses a walker to travel the school’s hallways, and pauses four times each day to ingest the oxycodone that dulls the pain to a manageable level. To help out, the school held a Dec. 13 spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser for Rickey and his mother, Nicky. It also has set up an online donation opportunity through the school website. The teenager is her only child, and Nicky is a single, working mom with minimal family support but bottomless determination. “The one thing I want in life is to put my kid back together again; I’ll do whatever it takes to do that,” Nicky said. “Nobody has the cure. But what I want Rickey to know more than anything is that he’s such an inspiration in how much he fights. I want him to be recognized for being awesome.”

From left, math teacher Melissa Bergfalk, Rickey and Nicky Cooper, and drama teacher Laurilea Williams pause during a Dec. 13 fundraiser at Mountain Ridge Middle School. Courtesy photo Rickey’s health problems first surfaced at age 6, when he told his mom he was seeing double. “His neurologist said to me, `I believe this little guy’s got MS. But we’re going to hope this never ever happens to him again’,” Nicky remembered. “He suffered from migraine headaches for a long time (after that). But other than that, I was hoping we made it under the radar.”

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Email your ideas to Douglas County Education Reporter Jane Reuter at jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com or call her at 303-566-4106.

In September, Rickey came home from football practice with another jarring report: His feet were numb. “He’s not much of a complainer. He doesn’t like anybody to know he’s not strong,” Nicky said. “I felt like somebody hit me over the head with something. I thought, `Oh God, I wonder if he’s having a relapse.’ ” The next day, Rickey’s legs were numb

from the knees down. By the time he reached the hospital, the numbness had extended to his chest, and there it largely has stayed. An MRI revealed lesions on his vertebrae. Rickey returned to school in a wheelchair and has since advanced to a walker. His future is unknown. “We asked them if he will ever not be numb and tingly from the chest down, and they said it may go away and may get better, but it may not ever,” Nicky said. Nicky credits her neighbors and school community for helping her through the last few months. “It’s been so bad you don’t even know what you need,” she said. When a Mountain Ridge staff member called to ask if they could help the family celebrate Christmas, Nicky initially resisted. “It hadn’t even dawned on me that Christmas was coming,” she said. “I am a single mom, but I don’t ever want to pull that card. But I realized I need to put my own feelings aside and remember that would help and be good for Rickey.” Though Rickey’s ordeal is not over, he and his mom already are turning their thoughts outward. “He has a little notebook he keeps all his notes in (about the experience),” Nicky said. “It’s a sad little story at the moment. But someday, we’re going to help somebody else through this.”

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Douglas County Sheriff ’s Deputy Anthony McClarnon, right, steadies 2-year-old Rylan Lackey at the County Line Road Target during Dec. 14’s ‘Heroes and Helpers’ holiday shopping day. In the background, Castle Rock’s Katrina Harnish and daughter Kaylee shop with DCSO Deputy Chad Teller. Photo by Jane Reuter

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Lone Tree Voice 5

December 19, 2013

S App shines a light on holiday displays

e he d exy has

erte-

heeler.

Free iPhone creation featured in national review

ot be and By Jane Reuter etter, jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com

hool Lone Tree’s Greg Walters wasn’t upset e last when a New York Times reporter earlier this month called his holiday lights iPhone know app “the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of apps.” mber “I thought it was kinda cute,” he said. mily “The reality of it is, people pick up an app sted. and expect everything to be perfect. A lot that of times they’re not. am a “A lot of those apps are just written by pull people like me. It’s really hard for us to t my keep up with Apple.” that The Christmas and Holiday Lights Display app, which the reporter also called r, he “the sweetest, most Christmasy concept” their he’d seen, shows viewers where to find holiday light displays and allows them to ps all download other festively lit sites. Nicky Walters, a hobbyist app creator, said he ment. wrote the holiday program three years and body two iPhone operating systems ago. “I just haven’t had time to keep up,” he said. The 20-plus-year Lone Tree resident was inspired to create the app by newspaper listings of holiday light displays, and driving his two now college-aged children to see them.

The free app works anywhere in the United States — including its home turf. “There are quite a few in Lone Tree,” Walters said. “My house is on there, but I haven’t decorated yet this year.” Walters But that’s OK; the app also allows people to note the status of a display. It’s not the only app that Walters, a fulltime CenturyLink employee, has created. An avid hiker, he’s launched others to help identify mountain peaks and wildflowers. Another, the Drink Manager, features a variety of cocktail recipes. “I’ve been writing iPhone apps for six or seven years now when I have spare time,” said Walters. With a side photography business thrown into the mix, he admits there’s precious little of that. Technical glitches aside, Walters said the Christmas and Holiday Lights Display app is a decent guide to one of the seasons’ sensory delights. “Coverage for the Denver metro area is quite good,” he said. “But I really encourage people to add more.” To access the app, visit the Apple or iTunes app store and search “Christmas and Holiday Light Displays.” The free app should be the first to come up and has Walters’ name right on it.

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.

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6 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

County approves $300 million budget $85.4 million slated for roads in 2014 By Ryan Boldrey

rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com The Douglas County commissioners approved the county’s 2014 budget Dec. 10. The budget shows no increases in taxes or fees for property owners, despite an anticipated revenue stream that falls $63.6 million short of anticipated expenditures. “The difference is explained through reappropriations and the use of the (general) fund balance for previously dedicated funds,” explained county finance director Andrew Copland. The total expenditures budgeted for 2014 equal $300.9 million, while anticipated revenues are estimated at $237.3 million. The bulk of the revenue will come from property taxes, sales and use taxes, intergovernmental business and

services. budget as opposed to 2014 new approved The county’s prelimidrafting a supplemenexpenditures nary budget introduced tal budget, Copland in October showed a explained, is so that • $13.4 million: Contracted maintenance con$5 million difference the county’s engineercrete/asphalt between anticipated ing department has • $3 million: Match funding to C-470 Corridor revenues and expendiaccess to the funds Coalition tures, all of which was Jan. 1 as opposed to • $2.3 million: Roxborough/US 85 connector accounted for through waiting for March, • $2 million: Final phase of justice center pre-approved expendiwhich he said could expansion tures to be paid for out hinder the progress of • $1.3 million: Lone Tree Light Rail Partnerof the county’s reserves. select projects. ship The approved budget, With the reappro• $1 million: East-West Regional Trail Exhowever, shows an adpriated funds includtension ditional $58.6 million ed, the amount bud• $350,000: Front Range Corridor Trail to account for projects geted for roadwork in that have been previ2014 now totals $85.4 ously budgeted for or million, accounting approved. for almost all the $96.7 million capital The largest amount of that is $52.4 budget. The county’s operating budget million in reappropriated funds for road- is set at $163.6 million, a 3.3 percent inwork throughout the county — all of crease over last year, and the other $40.6 which was budgeted for 2013 and went million in the budget is coming out of a unspent. variety of funds. The reason the county chooses to reIn addition to roadwork, the bulk of appropriate the money into the 2014 the budget will be focused on public

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Happy Holidays!

Douglas County offices will be closing at Noon on Christmas Eve, Tues., Dec. 24 through Wed., Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas. However many county services are available online at www.douglas.co.us Offices will re-open on Thurs., Dec. 26.

2014 Philip S. Miller Grant applications due January 31

Leaving Home for the Holidays?

Douglas County is accepting grant applications through January 31, 2014 for 2014 Philip S. Miller funds. To qualify for a grant an applicant must be a 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 tax-exempt organization; serve residents of Douglas County; and provide a service that supports health and human services for at risk and underserved populations. For more information visit www. douglas.co.us/countyadmin/ miller-grant/ or contact Dru Campbell at 303.660.7401.

Winter Home Heating Cost Assistance Eligible low-income Douglas County households can apply for energy assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). Applications are available online at www. douglas.co.us/humanservices/ leap/

TRANSPARENCY

PORTAL

www.douglas.co.us/transparency

Sign up for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office House Watch program online. This online application will notify the Sheriff’s Office of a home that will be unoccupied for a short duration. After submittal of the registration, the house watch will begin for the dates specified. To register for the House Watch program please visit https://apps.douglas. co.us/apps/housewatchpublic/ welcome.do

Winter Readiness Begins Now Please visit www.douglas.co.us/ publicworks/snow-and-iceremoval/ as a reference quide to frequently asked questions about snow and ice removal in Douglas County.

County Planning Projects Online Find residential and commercial development projects and proposed zoning and land use amendments online at http:// apps.douglas.co.us/apps/ planning/whatsNew.do

DOUGLAS COUNTY

TAX CALCULATOR

www.douglas.co.us/taxes

BusinessCONNECT Ready. Resourceful. Responsive. www.businessdouglascounty.com

For more online services please visit www.douglas.co.us

safety, $51 million, health and human services, $32.8 million, and public works, $29.2 million. Other additions of note in the final budget include the spending of $1 million to the Town of Parker to partner on salt and sand storage at the Gailen D. Buck public works facility as well as $2.2 million to pay for new synthetic turf fields at Highlands Heritage Regional Park in Highlands Ranch. Both of those projects were previously approved items that money had been set aside for. “This budget continues the investing in our community by utilizing discretionary reserves to focus on road maintenance throughout the county as well as road projects to help congestion on major arterials,” said county spokeswoman Wendy Holmes. “The monies the county is using from fund balance (reserves) is not going to fund operations. It is funding one-time capital projects.” The entire approved budget may be viewed at www.douglas.co.us/finance/.

Former youth pastor sentenced in sex case Capranelli to serve 8 years for sex assault on child, exploitation By Ryan Boldrey

rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com Former Highlands Ranch youth pastor Matthew Capranelli was sentenced to eight years in prison for repeated acts of sexual assault on a female member of the Mountain View Community Church youth group between 2004 and 2007. Capranelli, who was the girl’s counselor as well as youth pastor, was sentenced Dec. 12 in Castle Rock. He was originally charged with five counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust as a pattern of abuse, but in October, he agreed to plead guilty to one count, dropping the pattern of abuse charge, while also pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child. Capranelli, now 42, was arrested in November 2012. He spoke through tears at the sentencing, offering an apology to the victim, who was 15 years old when the abuse started. In addressing the court, he referred to himself as a “fallen from grace pastor” that was “willing to accept any and all consequences” for his actions. “Never in my wildest nightmares did I imagine I would be responsible for hurting an innocent victim like this,” he said. “It is my prayer that God can bring peace and healing to you and your families, but I

know a simple `I am sorry’ is not a band aid for a gaping wound like the one I’ve caused.” The victim, now 24, asked the court to give Capranelli the maximum 12 years he faced, saying she has already had to serve Capranelli a nine-year sentence because of his actions. “He knowingly perpetrated those crimes against me,” she said. “And he continued to make comments of the consequences he would face if someone found out. ... No matter how much therapy I go through, those scars will never leave me.” Judge Richard Caschette gave the defendant eight years, stating that while he appears to have shown some sense of remorse and have some redeeming characteristics, “in respect to the victim in this case, it is clear that he also has a dark side” and that “he abused that dark side and his position of trust to prey upon the victim’s innocence.” “We want to promote respect for the law and send a message to community that this kind of crime is heinous and will not be tolerated,” Caschette said. Once Capranelli is released from prison, he will spend between 10 years and life in the state’s Sex Offender Intensive Supervision Program and he will be a registered sex offender for as long as he lives. He will not be allowed to spend time with grandchildren or any other children under the age of 18 until he is cleared to do so.

Packages stolen from porches UPS driver says he was followed before theft By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com `Tis the season. To watch out for thieves, that is. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says delivered packages are being stolen from the porches of unsuspecting consumers in Highlands Ranch and Parker. In the Parker case, a United Parcel Service driver reported that he had been followed. “Workers inside the house saw a person come to the front door” moments after the item was dropped off, said Ron Hanavan, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. The suspect in that case is a white male,

age 20-25, wearing a blue hoodie and driving a grey Ford Taurus. In Highlands Ranch, one homeowner found a delivery package cut open and emptied of its contents. Package thefts have been an issue in the past, and with online holiday shopping growing every year, the sheriff’s office recommends reading tips and policies from shipping companies to avoid becoming a victim. Most delivery services enable recipients to request a signature or a hidden drop-off point, like a back porch or side door. “It’s convenient to have it on the front porch, but unfortunately that convenience can sometimes put you at risk,” Hanavan said. The Parker Police Department has not received any reports of stolen shipments this holiday season, according to a spokesman.

Lone Tree Voice 7

December 19, 2013

etExperts explore future of job growth

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Event puts focus on finalColorado’s economic llion saltdevelopment

Buck mil-By George Lurie ieldsglurie@ourcoloradonews.com rk in The news was mostly positive and upouslybeat at this year’s annual economic foren setcast breakfast, held Dec. 13 and hosted by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Comstingmerce. scre- Nearly 800 business and civic leaders main-attended the two-hour event, including a ell asbevy of local elected officials representing ma-Centennial and Arapahoe County. man Held in the grand ballroom of the Denuntyver Tech Center’s Hyatt Regency hotel, the es) isannual gathering featured presentations und-from a panel of nationally renowned economic experts. y be After brief opening remarks from South e/. Metro Denver Chamber President John Brackney — who encouraged “everyone in this room to be economic developers” — and chamber Chairman-elect Rick Whipple — who touted the Chamber’s ongoing

efforts around the state to promote the “Fix the Debt” campaign — the main presentation kicked off with an update from Ken Lund, director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets good planning,” Lund began, quoting Thomas Edison. “Colorado will never be a big financial center like New York but we can be the place that is the most innovative, the most entrepreneurial,” said Lund, whose speech highlighted the importance of cultivating an educated and talented workforce. Colorado’s labor force “is everything,” he said, encouraging the state’s business leaders to hire the best and brightest workers in order to stay competitive. Dr. Richard Wobbekind, a University of Colorado economist, delivered an encouraging forecast for 2014. Noting that Colorado was among the top seven states in terms of current population growth, Wobbekind predicted Colorado will create 61,000 new jobs next year. “The job growth will continue to be very broad-based,” Wobbekind said. “Almost every sector is growing.” Wobbekind said that commodity prices

have benefitted the agricultural and energy sectors in particular and pointed out that foreclosure rates across the state “have really dropped and are now a non-issue.” Dr. Martin Shields, an economics professor at Colorado State University, painted a picture that was not quite a rosy as the speakers who preceded him. Noting that the so-called Great Recession officially ended in 2009, Shields said the economy is no longer in “recovery” mode. “This is as good as it’s going to get for a while,” Shields predicted. Despite steady job growth, unemployment across the state remains relatively high because of the influx of new residents, Shields said, adding that businesses that concentrate on administrative and support services — temporary staffing agencies — continue to be the leading growth sector. “That means companies are still not convinced the recovery has taken hold and are willing to bring employees on fulltime,” he said. Forecasting 26,000 to 30,000 new jobs will be created in the Denver area during 2014, pushing down the unemployment rate to 5.9 percent, Shields tempered his otherwise upbeat comments.

“A lot of families are still struggling financially — and so are the businesses that rely on those families’ paychecks,” he said. Adding that he did not see a lot of “upward pressure” on wages in the new year, Shields pointed out that real median household income in the U.S. is at its lowest level in 17 years. There is a “disconnect” between economic growth and individual prosperity, he added. “Income is one of our measures of wellbeing,” Shields said. “And in the last 17 years, that income has been eroded.” Shields predicted healthcare, manufacturing and retail will be the leading sectors in the state’s economy in 2014. Most of the other speakers at the breakfast agreed, including Wells Fargo Securities economist Michael Wolf. Lund, who worked as Gov. John Hickenlooper’s chief legal counsel before taking the helm at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, lauded Colorado as a place “where you can make your fortune and raise your family.” He encouraged those in attendance to be “creative, innovative and collaborative. We need to be busy inventing the future,” Lund said.

State finances don’t inspire optimism Economist addresses crowd at South Metro Chamber By Jennifer Smith

jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com The state of Colorado has taken a few steps back from the edge of the financial cliff, but researchers say it’s not out of danger of falling off. “There’s not truly cause for optimism,” Phyllis Resnick, lead economist with Colorado State University’s Colorado Futures Center, told business and community leaders at the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce on Dec. 10. “We’ve delayed some of the inevitable, but we haven’t really gotten rid of the problem.” The good news is that the center predicts a budget gap in 2024 of nearly half of what it expected in its 2011 study, which was about $3.5 billion. CFC said at the time that by then, there would only be enough in the state’s coffers to pay for Medicaid, K-12 education and corrections — just enough to “medicate, educate and incarcerate,” said Resnick. Federal stimulus money and a robust housing recovery helped delay the pain, said Resnick. “Revenues have come back kind of on steroids,” she said. “But I think this is artificially stimulated. I expect sales-tax revenue

to continue to decline.” The bad news is that the shortfall is still probably going to happen, but not until 2029 or so. There are a lot of reasons, but a major one is an aging population that spends more money on services, which are not taxed, than products. In 1959, people spent about 56 cents of every dollar on goods; today it’s just 36 cents. Things continue to get cheaper — think electronics — and people more often are buying online, where there is no sales tax. Additionally, the recession and recordhigh youth unemployment rates kept a lot of young adults from moving out and starting their own families, so they don’t need houses and furniture and all the trappings of the American dream quite yet. They’re also not having kids, which means lower spending on education in the coming years — good news for the state budget, bad news for the schools. Those kids have been going to college, however. Student-loan debt is now $1 trillion nationally, second only to housing in terms of household debt. These are the same kids who were supposed to prop up Medicaid and Social Security for all those seniors, the numbers of which will grow by 50 percent in the next two years. On top of all those problems, most of which are occurring nationally, Colorado has the unique situation of TABOR. The

Deputy hit by motorist 18-year-old Denver resident arrested, charged with felonies

The vehicle was being driven with its lights off and struck the deputy before he could get out of the way. However, Hanavan said they won’t know if the driver was intentionally heading toward the deputy until By Virginia Grantier they can talk to the person. Email address here Hanavan said he couldn’t release any specifics about the injuries, but Douglas County Sheriff’s investithe injured deputy, who has worked gators have arrested an 18-year-old for the department for “multiple male who allegedly drove a vehicle years,” wasn’t transported and was into a deputy, causing minor injury, back to work the next day. while the deputy was conducting Hanavan said the party took interviews around midnight Nov. 24 place in one house. He said it would in Highlands Ranch outside an unbe hard to calculate how many peoderage party. ple were there. He said in underObed Rodriguez was arrested Rodriguez age party situations people tend to without conflict Dec. 17 at his Denscatter when word that police are in ver home for his alleged actions in the incident that occurred in the area of the area spreads. The sheriff’s office is recommending Pendleton Drive. The sheriff’s office had received multiple tips through crime stoppers that Rodriguez be charged with the following felonies: attempted murder in the first since requesting the public’s help Dec. 11. “It appears he was driving toward the degree, assault in the first degree, assault in officer,” said Ron Hanavan, public informa- the second degree, and vehicular eluding. No further information is available at tion officer for the Douglas County Sheriff’s this time. Office.

constitutional amendment caps revenue growth to the amount of inflation plus population change, and requires any excess be returned to taxpayers unless voters say the governmental entity can keep it. CFC predicts having an excess will be the norm starting in about 2016 because of Colorado’s hospital-provider fee, established in 2009 to pay for the Medicaid expansion. “The juxtaposition of cuts in generalfund programs, which could include cuts to schools, higher education and a variety of other programs, at the same time the state is returning `surplus’ funds to taxpayers under TABOR, will be puzzling to many Colorado citizens,” writes CFC in its executive summary. The state could begin to close the gap by exempting the hospital fee from TABOR and taxing some personal services like hair-

cuts and lawn mowing, for example, says Resnick. “Why not modernize the system to capture where the economic activity is taking place?” she asked. “If we could make these two changes, we could come pretty close to becoming structurally sound through the end of this decade.” Next up would be taking a hard look at how property taxes are calculated in an effort to shore up the education system, she said. “Inaction, of course, would bring about a strictly budget-cutting solution,” reads the study. “The cuts would be extreme. For example, closing the gap with cuts alone, while maintaining full funding for K-12, Medicaid and corrections, would result in cuts of nearly 75 percent to all of the other 17 general-fund departments by 2030.”

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8-Opinion

8 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

opinions / yours and ours

Becoming motivated by the sadness We will never be the same again. Grief changes us, and the shooting at Arapahoe High School puts us all in grief again. Numerous times every day I think and pray for the innocent girl who was ruthlessly shot by a boy who was mad at someone else. My daughter is just a year older than she is. I know how much a dad loves his daughter and cannot imagine what her family is going through and how much they wish they could have protected her from this catastrophic event. The shooter’s family began Dec. 13 with very different expectations for their future. Being parents of the perpetrator of the crime complicates their grief and demolishes the platform for them to grieve openly. It is times like this that remind all of us how connected we are and our connectedness reveals the importance of each life. My Clinical Pastoral Education instructor, Foy Richey, impressed this point on me with a diagram on the white board. “If your life is a circle,” he said while drawing a circle, “your loved one is another circle that overlaps your life. Some connect, like the Olympic rings and other times it is almost like an eclipse.” Then he said as he erased the portion

of the circles that overlapped, “And when that person is gone, that part of your life is missing.” For family, friends and Arapahoe students the “part missing” is definitely larger than those of us a few more miles away, but our connectedness is revealed in the grief we all feel. It is not unusual to try and pass through that sadness quickly, as if we can somehow get past it and return to the same place — the way things were. But that is not healthy and it is impossible to be the same again. Grief looks like a dark and bottomless pit that lies in front of us. We fear we will never come out of it if we allow ourselves to go into the sadness, confusion and anger that comes with life-changing grief. But it is in that place where we face the reality

and begin to understand how to live life in a different way and how to live with a piece of us missing. It is also a place where God meets us. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus was called, “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” “There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first that sounds very hard, but at the same time it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled one remains connected to the other person through it. It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve — even in pain — the authentic relationship. “Furthermore, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain.” Dietrich Bonheoffer, hanged by order of Hitler in a concentration camp gave us

those powerful words for people who suffer immeasurable and unjust loss. The measure of our grief is proportional to the part of us that is missing so our responses will be different. I am tempted to blame and get angry, but I feel it is more productive if I accept responsibility. What can I do to help our world be a better place? Can I encourage a disturbed young person, even as I pass them during the day? The sadness motivates me to find an answer and live in a way that values life and notices need around me. “Your life matters” is the message of my book about a baseball player. I hope that message redirects someone who is about to cause harm and gives a grieving soul the reason to continue. There will be other things for others and me to do, so let us go deep into our pit of grief, experience reality and find a healthy way to make a difference, because we will never be the same again. Dan Hettinger is author of “Welcome to the Big Leagues” and founder of the Jakin Group, a ministry of encouragement. You can email him at dan@welcometothebigleagues.org and follow him on Facebook and Twitter (@Welcome2theBigs).

Longing for a Christmas that was very long ago

Walking side by side through the holidays This week I struggled a little with the title of my column. It could have been “Walking in someone else’s shoes” or “We never really walk alone” or “Walking down parallel paths” but I decided on “Walking side by side” because although the other titles could have easily worked, I believe that walking side by side truly defines the essence of support, partnerships and love. I have experienced a lot over the course of my life and many times I tried to “goit-alone.” As a matter of fact, I would say most times I let my pride and ego get in the way as I attempted to do something or fix something on my own when help was just a phone call or a hug away. The past few years have been rough as our family battled a very serious health issue, eventually losing a wife, mother and friend to that battle. And even though there were people willing to help and support us, and counselors and pastors who were available, and friends who did what they could, I initially wanted to fix the pains for me and my family on my own. This past week I had an experience that opened my eyes and my heart, and the awakening or awareness is something I should have and could have realized a long time ago. You see I was traveling in Europe on business and I was attending meetings with a colleague for two days. He shared his condolences with me and then shared that he had actually gone through the exact same situation four years earlier. And as we talked, it became very apparent that he had walked in my shoes and he could share so much more and teach me so much more if I

A young father handed a clerk 30 dollars in a department store in Uniontown, Pa., and the clerk gave him a Sad Face Fire Truck, a pedal car that Murray made back then. It was too big to wrap, so it was kept out of sight until Christmas morning. I came out of my bedroom with sleep still in my eyes, and that made the tree lights look like they were sparking. It might have been our best Christmas. I was still a few years away from becoming a brooding loner — I was just a happy little kid — and I was living with Ozzie and Harriet. I wish I still had that pedal car. I know I can find one online, because I have looked. They go for almost $500 or more now. But it wouldn’t be the same, because they all belonged to someone else. I think it was my “Rosebud.” If you have seen “Citizen Kane” you know that “Rosebud” was Kane’s boyhood sled. Maybe you know that the name was the director’s inside joke. Ask someone else. Christmas is almost completely lost on me now. My favorite classical station played “O Holy Night” on the day I wrote this, more than three weeks away from Christmas. Some of my neighbors had lights and decorations up before the end of November.

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chose to walk side by side with him. The parallels in our lives and personal situation were unbelievable. The more we talked and the more we shared our stories, the clearer things became for me, especially about my path moving forward. I didn’t have to “go-it-alone” any longer, not in my personal life or my business life. There are others out there who have had personal and professional experiences that I could benefit from and learn from. And there are things that I have accomplished or have gone through that could very well help others if we chose to walk side by side instead of “going-it-alone.” For me it was always a stubbornness factor or my own arrogance that prevented me from seeking advice and learning from others who may have walked in my shoes. In some cases that were not so personal it was easy to ask for tips or guidance, like taking golf lessons, or talking with someone about a business situation, or how to handle a small project or repair something in the house. Those are the easy things to talk

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Smith continues on Page 11

Colorado Community Media Phone 303-566-4100 • Fax 303-566-4098 Visit us on the Web at lonetreevoice.net

Columnists and guest commentaries The Lone Tree Voice 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 Lone Tree Voice. 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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“During the four days beginning with Thanksgiving, 141 million people shopped and made $57.4 billion in purchases at stores and websites.” That’s 58.5 percent of the voting age population. In 2012, 57.5 percent of the voting age population voted in the presidential election. There is something wrong with this picture, but there is something wrong with a lot of our pictures. I’m just happy that I didn’t know there was something wrong with so many of them when I woke up that morning in Pennsylvania and saw my pedal car, and the other gifts that were wrapped and ribboned. I wish I had a Super-8 of my father

we’re in this together Our team of professional reporters, photographers and editors are out in the community to bring you the news each week, but we can’t do it alone. Send your news tips, your own photographs, event information, letters, commentaries... If it happens, it’s news to us. Please share by contacting us at news@ourcoloradonews.com, and we will take it from there. After all, the Voice is your paper.

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Lone Tree Voice 9

December 19, 2013

thiNgS to do Through Dec. 22

Jan. 8 in the Event Hall at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $15. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

home for The holiDays. Lone Tree Arts Center presents its holiday spectacular, featuring songs from every decade. This is one holiday show the entire family can agree on. Back by overwhelming popular demand, we will see some of last year’s favorite performers as well as lots of new acts to enjoy. Expect everything from break dancing to powerful singing, from drum lines to The Jerseys as we put some magic into your holiday season. Call 720-509-1000 or go to www.LoneTreeArtsCenter. org.

orchesTra concerT Pete Olstad, an alumni of the Ferguson Band, is highlighted in this Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra “Tribute to Maynard Ferguson” concert at 8 p.m. Jan. 10 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. The group will perform everything from the theme from Rocky to “Maria” from West Side Story. Tickets cost $20. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

Dec. 23

Jan. 14

BlooD Drive. Sky Ridge Medical Center community blood drive is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 23 in the auditorium at 10101 Ridgegate Parkway, Lone Tree. For information or to schedule an appointment, 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.

Divorce seminar St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 9203 S. University Blvd., Highlands Ranch, presents a 10week seminar “Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends,” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting Jan. 14. The seminar promotes healing for those who are going through a divorce or the ending of a love relationship. It offers education, support and optional social activities. Cost is $175 for the 10-week class and complimentary child care is provided with prior registration. To register, or for information, email Beth Walker at bethdwalker@gmail.com.

recurring/Through Jan. 1 elk herD Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking public input on the future management of the Mt. Evans elk herd (E-39) via an online survey through Jan. 1. Herd population and composition objectives and other issues regarding elk management in Game Management Units 39, 391, 46, and 461 are being addressed. E-39 encompasses portions of Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and Park counties. To provide input on the herd, visit (http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ BigGame/HerdManagementDAUPlans/Pages/HerdManagementDAUPlans.aspx). The survey only takes a few minutes to complete.

Jan. 10

Jan. 18 auDiTions kiWanis cluB of Castle Rock will have

who might be a vegetable vampire. With clever lyrics and fun music, this show is sure to please any child as they laugh their way through this engaging tale. Show runs from Jan. 21-30 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $8. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

Jan. 25 esTaTe planning Carla Little, with the Little Law Office, will have a seminar on The 12 Mistakes People Make When Creating Their Estate Plan from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 25 at the Lone Tree Library, in the meeting room. This is a free, community event and everyone is invited. Contact Carla Little at 303-520-6941 or visit littlelawoffices.com. Jan. 31 gypsy Jazz Fusing Western swing and Gypsy jazz, the internationally-touring trio Hot Club of Cowtown will have you tapping your toes all night long. The fiddle, upright bass and guitar merge together creating music that harkens to the days of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys while also incorporating elements of the Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz sound. Top that off with tight harmonies by the three singers and undeniable energy. Show is at 8 p.m. Jan. 31 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets start at $26. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. feB. 4

Jan. 7

auditions for the 10th annual Stars of Tomorrow talent contest from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Lone Tree Arts Center, 10075 Commons St., Lone Tree. Applications and a $10 entrant fee are due by Jan. 18. Applications and details can be found at www.kiwanisatcastlerock.org. The final competition is at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.lonetreeartscenter.org, by calling 720-509-1000 or at the door.

Jungle laDy Linda the Jungle Lady performs with live animals at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Feb. 4 in the Event Hall at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Linda helps make the amazing creatures approachable. Come join this exciting Seedlings show, and have an opportunity to touch some of the snakes, bugs, lizards, turtles and a hedgehog. Tickets cost $3. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

seeDlings: Wayne & WingnuT Let comedy ventrilo-

Jan. 19

feB. 5 chilDren’s TheaTer Dallas Children’s Theatre presents “Stuart Little” at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Feb. 5 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $8. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

Jan. 8

passporT To culTure The rich and vibrant culture of China comes to Lone Tree with a Chinese New Year celebration at 3 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Event Hall at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Celebrate entering the Year of the Horse with the Colorado Asian Cultural Heritage Center. The group will perform three dances, each telling a story that embodies the culture of the Chinese New Year celebration. Tickets cost $5. Call 720-5091000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

quist Wayne Francis & Wingnut barnstorm their way into your heart. This one-of-a-kind show features many “life-sized” puppet characters, original jokes, great music and fun cartoon voices. Watch out, you might even have a voice coming out of your mouth. Shows are at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the Event Hall at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $3. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

opera on Tap Ever thought you could hum along to the

opera? You’d be shocked at how much opera you already know. We will bring out the showstoppers for this concert, the most famous opera arias of all time take center stage at 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 21-30 Bunnicula musical This musical adaptation of the popular book follows Chester the cat and Harold the dog as they try to warn the Monroe family about their new pet rabbit,

Smith Continued from Page 10

buying the pedal car, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. He was a Buick salesman at the time, and was married with to his high school sweetheart. They met in Mount Morris, t I Mich., dated, became engaged before he enlisted, and were married on an Army Air Corps base in Hobbs, N.M. g He flew 30 missions in a B-17, returned, and started a family. Our black-and- white, family, Christmas photoere graphs in the 1950s were all smiles. That changed, just like it does in many other homes. My parents argued, and I became introverted and ornery. I couldn’t wait to go far away to college. It didn’t get any better when my sister divorced twice, or when I began to drink in my 40s. “How Can We Hang On to a Dream?” is a song composed

Norton Continued from Page 10

about or seek help on. But when it comes down to something incredibly personal, for me anyway, I tend to try incredibly hard to figure things out on my own. As a family we are facing the all the “firsts” now, the first Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Christmas, New Years, Anniversary, and Valentine’s Day without a wife, mom, and friend. And I am sure many of you reading this may also be struggling or experiencing feelings of sadness for those who are not with you. Maybe you are like us and experiencing moments of joy mixed with that sadness as we remember all of the fun, loving and amazing times we shared together. Just remember that there are others out there who have walked in your shoes, maybe even walking in them right now. It’s when you find those people in a similar walk, whether through a support group or just out of coincidence, and you can share stories and support one another, walking side by side that you will learn from one another and find

feB. 7 classical music The Colorado Symphony performs a concert that explores the elements of classicism both in music and architecture. Featuring commentary by a local architect and the symphony’s resident conductor Scott O’Neil, this multi-media performance introduces the classic style for both the ears and eyes with distinct examples from the classical greats including Haydn and Mozart. Show is at 8 p.m. Feb. 7

and recorded by Tim Hardin, who died in 1980. The song is about a woman who is “walking away,” but it’s a good question to ask about lots of things we have lost, like merrier Christmases. All I have now are memories and photographs. My mother and father died in 2008. Toward the end we were all exchanging equal-amount gift cards, and eventually we weren’t exchanging anything at all, because there was really nothing better to give each other than each other. That’s why I don’t understand the stampede on Black Friday, or the anxieties about last-minute shopping. Maybe we give gifts to make up for something that’s missing in a relationship. A few years later, the pedal car’s place was taken by a red Schwinn. But every Dec. 25, I wonder where it is, and I miss it. Craig Marshall Smith is an artist, educator and Highlands Ranch resident. He can be reached at craigmarshallsmith@comcast.net

some level of comfort in talking through your individual experiences. I have been blessed with a special someone in my life who has had their own challenging experiences, and who has supported me through friendship, love, listening, talking, crying, and hugging. She made the choice to walk side by side with me and my family, and because she walked in similar shoes many years ago, she is strong enough, loving enough, and caring enough to walk with us through our journey now and together we will learn and share so much from one another. Are you walking side by side with anyone these days? Especially during the holidays? Have you shared your story or learned from someone else? Have you found some level of comfort in talking through any mutual life experiences? I would love to hear all about it at gotonorton@gmail. com because as I have learned this week, when we do walk side by side through life’s toughest challenges, it will be a better than good minute, hour, day, week, month, and year. Michael Norton is a resident of Highlands Ranch, the former president of the Zig Ziglar Corp. and the CEO/founder of www.candogo.com

we want to hear from you If you would like to share your opinion, go to www.ourcoloradonews.com or write a letter to the editor of 300 words or less. Include your name, full address and the best telephone number to contact you. Please send letters to letters@ourcoloradonews.com.

on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets start at $36. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org.

feB. 12-16 concerT Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s South Pacific: In Concert is presented at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12-16 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets start at $29, with a $25 senior matinee at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. feB. 19 guiTars anD sTrings Guitars aren’t just for rock music, folk music and Spanish music: some of the greatest classical music also uses guitar. In this Arts in the Afternoon program, we’ll sample a pair of chamber works for guitar and strings: Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata for Viola and Guitar, along with Paganini’s Terzetto Concertante for Viola, Cello, and Guitar. Our concert host Betsy Schwarm will share stories about how the guitar comes to fit in with standard orchestral strings. Program is at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Event Hall at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $15. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www. LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. feB. 23 classic opera Opera Colorado presents “The Barber of Seville,” a production of a classic opera, designed with kids in mind. The Passport to Culture program is at 3 p.m. Feb. 23 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets cost $5. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. feB. 24 young coloraDo “Yesterado, Stories of Colorado When It Was Young” is presented at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 on the Main Stage at the Lone Tree Arts Center. The show is based on various newspaper clippings from the 1890s. Meet Jack Langrishe and Marietta Ravel, late 19th century performers eager to usher you back in time to see Colorado history as you never have before. Pulled from the pulp of the newspapers of the time, this sharp, fun slice of showmanship uses stories of con man Soapy Smith, socialite Molly Brown, and cyclist Dora Rinehart to create a living, breathing portrait of our state when it was still cutting its teeth. Tickets cost $8. Call 720-509-1000 or visit www.LoneTreeArtsCenter.org. eDiTor’s noTe: Calendar submissions must be received by noon Wednesday for publication the following week. Send information to calendar@ourcoloradonews.com, attn: Lone Tree Voice. No attachments. Listings are free and run as space is available.

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10 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

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Lone Tree Voice 11

December 19, 2013

Teachers union VP promoted to top spot Courtney Smith plans to embrace ‘new normal’ in Douglas County By Jane Reuter

jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com New Douglas County Federation president Courtney Smith takes the reins at arguably the most difficult time in the union’s history. The DCF, which represents both teachers and other Douglas County School District employees, lost its 47-year collective bargaining agreement with DCSD in 2012. And the four candidates it supported in the recent school board election lost. “It’s a transitional time,” said Smith, who is unrelated to outgoing DCF president Bren-

da Smith. “But it’s also a time where we need to embrace moving forward with a new normal in Douglas County. “We have to realize that the relationship the union and school district had in the past is no longer. I’m excited Smith about moving forward.” Smith was elected to the top spot by the union’s executive board in a Dec. 11 vote, and starts the job Jan. 1. Former president Brenda Smith resigned to work in the Cherry Creek School District. Despite the dramatic changes of the past two years, Courtney Smith believes the teachers union still serves a vital purpose. About 60 percent of DCSD’s teachers are DCF members. Membership has dropped about 10 percent since the CBA expired. “A teacher or classified employee’s work-

School board meetings now broadcasting live Website will stream, post archives of regular meetings By Jane Reuter

jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com The Douglas County School Board started live streaming its meetings Dec. 12, a practice designed to provide an accurate view of their operations. “It’s just another degree of transparency into our meetings,” board president Kevin Larsen said, “and it opens the door for people to see the meeting who might not otherwise be able to get down there on a Tuesday night.” The twice-monthly meetings are held in the district’s Castle Rock administration building. Community members who both support and question some of the board’s policies regularly attend the meetings, many publishing Tweets or Facebook posts during the sessions. Larsen said he sometimes reads the postings. “I often think, `That’s an interesting take on what happened at the meeting’,”

he said. “Anytime you’ve got someone in the middle relaying or interpreting, there’s bound to be some change in how the message was relayed. It’s just much better to see exactly what is said.” DCSD will use existing equipment to stream the meetings. It’s the same process already used to present live broadcasts of graduation ceremonies. The service costs about $300 a month, according to communications staff. The video also will be available for viewing after each meeting. Though the launch coincides with changes in the board’s leadership and Larsen’s promise of increased community outreach, he isn’t taking credit for the change. “There are many people who have suggested this,” he said. “From what I’ve heard, it will be appreciated.” The board meetings’ live stream can be found on DCSD’s official Livestream channel at www.livestream.com/dcsdk12. Archives also will be posted at the site. Closed captioning will be available at the beginning of each meeting at www. captionedtext.com/client/event.aspx?Cus tomerID=1313&EventID=2278859. Meetings typically are held on the first and third Tuesdays with the public portion starting at 7 p.m. Agendas are available on the DCSD website at www.dcsdk12.org.

County schools recognized by state Awards presented for academic excellence and student growth

complished, and we continue to grow and improve on what we have achieved.” A list of the award winners follows:

Staff report

John Irwin & Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Awards

The Colorado Department of Education recognized 35 Douglas County schools at the 2013 School and District Performance Awards Dec. 3. Twenty-three schools received the John Irwin Award, based on demonstrated excellent academic achievement. The Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award, based on demonstrated exceptional student growth, was awarded to 12 schools. Of the 35 schools, six received both the John Irwin and Governor’s Distinguished Improvement awards. In addition, the CDE recognized the Douglas County School District the national Green Ribbon School District Award, given by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. DCSD is the only school district in Colorado to win the award. “Earning the District Green Ribbon Award for Sustainability is a tremendous honor, which our students and staff have earned through their hard work and dedication,” said Lee Smit, sustainability manager for the Douglas County School District. “Our District leadership has provided the support and foundation from which we were able to build the programs we have today. We are proud of what we have ac-

• • • • • •

Parker Core Knowledge Charter (Parker) Highlands Ranch High (Highlands Ranch) Northridge Elementary (Highlands Ranch) Redstone Elementary (Highlands Ranch) Saddle Ranch Elementary (Highlands Ranch) Stone Mountain Elementary (Highlands Ranch)

John Irwin Award Academy Charter (Castle Rock) • American Academy (Castle Pines/ Parker) • Bear Canyon Elementary (Highlands Ranch) • Buffalo Ridge Elementary (Castle Rock) • DCS Montessori Charter (Castle Rock) • Heritage Elementary (Highlands Ranch) • Mountain Ridge Middle (Highlands Ranch) Awards continues on Page 12

ing conditions is his or her students’ learning conditions,” she said. “It’s more important than ever that we’re there to represent the voices of teachers and classified employees. “They are not willing to give up on a school district they built. We’re going to work hard to reclaim the promise of public education for Douglas County.” Smith said she’s hopeful the DCF can work with the current board, but said, “There’s a difference in the vision of moving Douglas County forward by some of the upper administration. It’s different than what I think is best for the school district, and for public schools as a whole.” Some opponents said the union was an impediment to the controversial reforms enacted by the board, concerns that were emphasized during the campaign. But Smith said the DCF had a historic and nationally recognized collaborative working relationship with the district.

The election results aside, she finds reasons to optimistic. “The community was awakened to what’s going on,” Smith said. “We have an incredibly strong group of parents and community members that understand what is so vitally important about having a strong public school system. The support from them is going to carry the (DCSD) employees forward.” A mother of two DCSD students and a former high school teacher, Smith is confident her children are getting a good education — a faith she attributes to teachers and principals. Smith said it never was her goal to become union president, but added, “I will not walk away. I’m dedicated to the school district because my kids are in the school district. “I’m going to carry forward with what we’ve done for years - which is representing employees balanced with what’s best for students.”

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12-Color

12 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

Charter frustrated by lack of helpP School district says finding location isn’t its responsibility By Jane Reuter

jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com Supporters of a prospective charter school with nowhere to build believe the Douglas County School District has the power to help it, but district leaders say it isn’t their responsibility. Under a process adopted in 2012, it will only help charter schools if the district has a need for more student capacity. World Compass Academy, which already has a list of 500 potential students, is fast approaching a critical deadline. Its backers say they’ve done an exhaustive search for space in the Castle Rock area and are out of options. They also are nearly out of time to make their desired fall 2014 opening. “We can’t expect parents to enroll (students) without a location,” World Compass Academy board president Bethany Merkling said. “We’re willing to partner with the district; anything they’d be willing to offer us

would be something we’d consider. “From our perspective, there are thousands of kids on (charter school) wait lists all over Castle Rock. So to me that indicates there’s a need for more charters.” The best option, they believe, is to lease a town-owned lot reserved for a school in the developing Crystal Valley Ranch neighborhood in southern Castle Rock. Crystal Ranch’s developer also wants to see the charter built there. But DCSD leaders say those lengthy lists — some of which extend years into the future — don’t indicate a lack of seats for the district’s students. “We are here to support World Compass Academy,” said Richard Cosgrove, DCSD’s director of planning and construction. “It’s just right now we can’t give up a dedicated school site because we don’t have capacity needs. “We have to be prudent and hold onto future school sites for the growth that’s going to happen.” DCSD adopted the request-for-proposal process after it assisted Castle Rock’s Aspen View Academy and the Parker campus

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of American Academy — both of which opened in 2013 after agreeing to offset capacity needs by giving priority to neighborhood students. District officials said they needed to build new schools in those areas, but didn’t have the money to do so. The two charters’ willingness to accept neighborhood students made providing a site to American Academy and helping Aspen View with both a site and financing a win for all. In the future, “If and when we do need classroom space, we could issue an RFP for charter schools,” Cosgrove said. “That would be open to all and competitive. As part of that, we could offer the use of one of the dedicated school sites, or we may not.” Crystal Valley Ranch developer Jerry Richmond said his company is platting 500 new lots. Currently, 600 people live in the fledging development. He also noted other developments in the area that will draw more families. Richmond would like to see the charter school build on one of the two sites reserved for elementary schools; the other could remain open for a future neighborhood school. “We’re very supportive of World Compass coming into the community,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem like the Douglas County School District is giving any credence to the residents that currently live there.” A charter school is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers or community members under a contract with the school district. It has more flexibility than district-operated schools in its choice of curriculum and school operations. Douglas County is home to 12 charter schools. The years-long waiting lists are what motivated former teacher Merkling to help start

Awards Continued from Page 11

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Mountain Vista High School (Highlands Ranch) North Star Academy (Parker) Pine Grove Elementary (Parker) Platte River Charter Academy (Highlands Ranch) Rock Canyon High (Highlands Ranch) Rocky Heights Middle (Highlands Ranch) Summit View Elementary (Highlands Ranch) ThunderRidge High School (High-

Calm After the Storm

CURRENT WAITING LISTS AT SOME DCSD CHARTER SCHOOLS American Academy: With campuses in Parker and Castle Pines, the total waiting list is 2,180. Parker Core Knowledge: The Parker charter’s list extends to children who would enroll in 2019 and is currently at 3,703 prospective students. Platte River Academy: The Highlands Ranch school has a current list of about 4,000. SkyView Academy: The Highlands Ranch charter’s list extends to children who would enroll up to 2025 and is currently at 2,271 prospective students. STEM Academy: The Highlands Ranch school has a current list of 350 prospective students.

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Co the g those O daug ber 1 comp tion c Th nect a school; she hopes to see her young chil-loved dren attend World Compass. Based on herrecal history and belief in the importance of for-when eign language, the proposed school wouldsessi include early foreign language education inO’Fly French, Mandarin and Spanish. grou The international focus is not otherwisesions available in Douglas County now, Merklingtalkin said; it’s a choice she feels parents should “T have. whel DCSD likely would extend World Com- N pass’ application another year, but Merklinganyth doesn’t think that will make a difference forinfor them. made “The problem is there isn’t adequateThro lease space,” she said. “Unless a new optionparen becomes available, we’re going to be in thetion exact same place next year.” tion. Another proposed charter with an em-O’Fly phasis on foreign language, Global Villagesmal Academy, aims to open for the 2014-15 aca-paren demic year in northeastern Douglas County. Th Tree that ents reach lands Ranch) • Timber Trail Elementary (Castlethrou send Rock) • Wildcat Mountain Elementary (Little-Each the m ton) than

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13-Color

Lone Tree Voice 13

December 19, 2013

pParents who lose a child not alone Parker foundation provides support, memorial events By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com

Corrine O’Flynn knows all too well that the grief of losing a child is unfathomable to those who haven’t experienced it. O’Flynn felt “isolated” after losing her daughter Rowan, who was born in December 1999 and passed away one day later from complications related to trisomy 18, a condition caused by an error in cell division. The Parker resident lost the ability to connect with people or enjoy activities she once chil-loved. Nothing mattered in the same way. She n herrecalled feeling like she had nothing to lose f for-when her friend signed her up for a therapy wouldsession with others who had lost children. on inO’Flynn admittedly wasn’t the “support group-type,” but it was during those first sesrwisesions that she realized she had stopped really klingtalking to her husband. hould “The isolation is huge,” she says. “It overwhelms all other feelings.” Com- None of the pre-natal tests indicated that klinganything was wrong, and the lack of online e forinformation about trisomy 18 at that time made things ever harder to comprehend. quateThrough chat forums, O’Flynn met other ptionparents who had lost children to the condin thetion and started an online support organization. It was an immense success, and in 2005, em-O’Flynn realized she was reaching only “one llagesmall segment of the population of grieving aca-parents.” unty. That was when she created the Rowan Tree Foundation, a Parker-based nonprofit that provides a platform of support for parents who have lost a child. Aside from outreach services that guide surviving loved ones through the stages of grief, the foundation sends out personalized remembrance notes. Each one is sent as a show of support during the month the parents lost their child. More than 500 were mailed this year, and they read:

com

“We hope you find some comfort in knowing you are not alone. We are remembering with you.”

Foundation offers shared experiences

Perhaps most uplifting are the organization’s two signature annual events: a butterfly release in June and candlelight vigil in December. Both are well-attended and take place at the Rowan Tree Foundation Angel Memorial and Healing Garden, along the Cherry Creek trail just west of McCabe Meadows Park at South Parker Road and Indian Pipe Lane. The land was donated to the nonprofit two years ago by the Town of Parker. The butterfly release is an emotional experience, but one that is intended to help heal. “We order monarch butterflies that are packaged individually and I read all of the children’s names, and at the end of the program, everyone opens their box and releases the butterflies into a field,” said O’Flynn, who serves as the foundation’s executive director. “A lot of people are crying at the beginning, but once they’re released, everybody is smiling.” The shared experience is what is so valuable to O’Flynn. After all, it was bonding with others through grief that was the catalyst for the Rowan Tree Foundation. O’Flynn’s daughter was named Rowan, a Gaelic word meaning “little red one,” but later she discovered it is also a type of tree known to signify “strength against adversity and rebirth.” “It also represents connection, which was perfect for our mission,” said O’Flynn, who is helped by four volunteers. After a child passes away, local hospitals give packets to grieving parents and let them decide whether to seek support. Whether it’s one day after a loss, one month later, or even 40 years later, as was the case with one woman, the Rowan Tree Foundation is there to help, free of charge. For more information, call 720-588-8693 or send an email to staff@rowantreefoundation.org. The foundation also has a website, www.rowantreefoundation.org, and a Facebook page.

ABOVE: Corinne O’Flynn, founder and executive director of the Rowan Tree Foundation, reads a message to families gathered at the group’s angel memorial statue to mourn the loss of a child. RIGHT: The Rowan Tree Foundation Angel Memorial and Healing Garden, along the Cherry Creek trail near South Parker Road and Indian Pipe Lane, is a gathering place for those grieving the loss of a child. The foundation is based in Parker. Courtesy photos

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14-Color

14 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

SHOOTING AT ARAPAHOE HIGH

Parents, students make tearful reunions amid chaos Community support swells after school shooting By Jennifer Smith

The following statement was released by Karl Pierson’s parents, Barbara and Mark Pierson:

jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com Korri Stainbrook got the news about the shooting at Arapahoe High School sooner than most parents. “My son’s in there,” she sobbed while waiting in line at the nearby Shepherd of the Hills Church parking lot to see his face again, with hundreds of other anguished moms and dads. Stainbrook’s family owns Columbine Ambulance, and her parents heard the call as soon as it came in Dec. 13. They expected to be transporting the body of the shooter, whom Sheriff Grayson Robinson said appeared to have died from a selfinflicted gunshot. They called her within minutes, and she raced to the school in time to see SWAT entering the building and ambulances arriving on scene. “It was absolute craziness,” she said. All she could do was wait and pace, for two hours. She couldn’t reach her 17-yearold son, Mike, a senior. He was rushed out of yoga class with no shoes, no phone, no coat. She brought them all for him. Fortunately, he would need them. “You just hope they’re OK,” she said. “I’ll never complain about his long hair again.” As parents agonized in the cold park-

Shooting Continued from Page 1

students in classrooms huddled in corners in the dark, unsure of what was happening. Schools across the south metro area, not only those within the Littleton Public Schools District, were put on lockout status as a precaution. Law enforcement personnel from other cities and counties responded to the school in southwest Centennial. The major intersection of Dry Creek and University was closed off to traffic for hours on end. Arapahoe junior Tyler Arellano was in algebra class with 28 other students and his teacher when shots rang out. “We were all just crying and ducking down,” he said just a couple hours after the shooting. “Nobody really knew what to do.” Arellano said the teacher told them to keep quiet, and gave them all their cell phones in case they needed to call their parents. “She did good and stayed calm,” he said. They stayed that way for nearly 20 minutes, he thinks, then they heard the SWAT team yelling outside. “They broke through the door and told us to run out as fast as we can toward King Soopers,” he said.

SHOOTER’S PARENTS RElEASE STATEmENT “We are shattered by the tragic events that took place on Friday at Arapahoe High School. Our thoughts and prayers are with Claire Davis and her family. They, and she, have suffered unimaginably, and we pray for her full recovery. We also pray for the entire Arapahoe High School community, as we know your lives are forever changed by this horrific event. “As parents, we loved our son Karl dearly and we are devastated by what happened Friday. We cannot begin to understand why Karl did what he did. We ask for privacy during this unthinkably difficult time and hope that you will respect our need for time to grieve.” ing lot, there were already signs that the community was rising to support them. Residents of neighboring subdivisions waved in drivers and offered up their driveways; cars were packed into the area like a box of dominos. Albertsons employees pushed shopping carts up the street to offer coffee, water, doughnuts and gloves. Shepherd of the Hills offered blankets and other comforts. St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, just down the street from the school, announced that a Voices West concert planned for that 7:30 that evening would be transformed into a service of healing and hope, and invited the community.

Two people embrace outside of Arapahoe High School following the Dec. 13 shooting at the school. Photo by George Lurie “We place great faith in the healing power of music and the strength of community at a time such as this,” they wrote in a news release. Gov. John Hickenlooper wandered among the crowd, offering words of encouragement. “This is an all-too-familiar scene,” he said. “Gunshots, and parents running to

the school in horror in a place of learning.” Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy and new school board president Lucie Stanish joined him. “Team LPS,” she said through tears. “We’re all here.” As reunited families left the area, emotion was raw. Too soon to talk, they said — it was time to just be together.

“Everyone is in shock. They don’t really want to talk about it, because it was pretty scary. But I’m fine.” Eventually, students, some pulled from physical education classes and not dressed for the December cold, emerged from the building. They would later be reunited with their parents, down the road just a short walk, at Shepherd of the Hills Church. “My dad picked me up at Shepherd of the Hills,” said Kaylee Eastridge, an Arapahoe junior. “It was such a relief. “He immediately started crying.”

What fueled the rampage?

Three months ago, Pierson made a threat. Last week, he made his move. It’s not known when, or if, he made a plan. Pierson is described by fellow students as smart, but with some controversial opinions. He was a talented competitor on the speech and debate team at Arapahoe and, at least at one point, was a member of the cross country squad. His motivation on Dec. 13 is not entirely clear, but Robinson believes, it “had to do with a disciplinary action involved with the debate team.” Pierson made threats against Murphy in September, the sheriff confirmed. To Robinson’s knowledge, Pierson had not been kicked off the team and the disci-

DOuGCO COmmuNICATIONS PORTAl CRASHES Douglas CounTy School District’s Infinite Campus, the parent’s communications portal, crashed shortly after news of the Arapahoe High School shooting broke, according to communications staff. “uPon our initial reviews, it seems as if … Infinite Campus was unable to handle the quantity of emergency messaging that we sent to our families,” DCSD spokeswoman Michelle Yi wrote in an email. “The IC system didn’t work properly and we’re already in the process of ensuring that any issues are resolved.

Students were evacuated from Arapahoe High School shortly after shots were fired Dec. 13. Photo by Chris Michlewicz plinary action was “appropriate.” In the hours after the shooting, law enforcement executed three search warrants, including at Pierson’s home in Highlands Ranch. Robinson is not ready to divulge what was found, but he believes Pierson acted alone. At a press conference the afternoon of Dec. 14, Robinson — who only a day before the shooting had announced he would be retiring at the end of January — emphasized that the investigation would not be rushed, that there was plenty of work left to do. He also wanted to make one

more thing clear. “(Pierson) deserves no notoriety and no celebrity. I choose to never use his name again in public.” Even as Robinson spoke, a candlelight vigil was being mobilized for Davis, the shooting victim who was left in a coma. “This has truly been a village and a family pulling together in a difficult time,” said Scott Murphy, Littleton Public Schools superintendent. The community was wounded, but trying to heal. — Staff writers Ryan Boldrey, George Lurie, Chris Rotar and Jennifer Smith contributed to this article.

“The Douglas County School District shares the frustration that the community had when it came to the District’s communication issues on Friday. While we were able to share information on a number of communication platforms, including our website, social media and app — the inability to email, text and send out a parent robo-dial quickly made a fairly straightforward task, extremely difficult.”

Douglas CounTy schools were placed on lockout at 12:54 p.m. Dec. 13 until the end of the school day. During a lockout, classes continue but all doors are locked. WiTh The start of a new week Dec. 16, the lockout was lifted in favor of increased security patrols.

Victim Continued from Page 1

said. “She is a young woman of principle, she is a young woman of purpose, she is an innocent young lady, and she is an innocent victim of an evil act of violence,” Robinson said. Davis’ family released statements in the days following her shooting. On Dec. 15, the following message from the family was posted on the hospital’s Facebook page: “Claire remains in critical condition. She is stable, but is in a coma. The first responders got Claire to the right place, at the right time, and the doctors and hospital staff are doing a wonderful job taking

Papers cups were arranged to say “Pray 4 Claire” at Arapahoe High School on Dec. 15. Photo by Chris Rotar care of her. We appreciate your continued good thoughts and prayers, and will provide updates as her condition improves.” Eastridge was in a classroom near the library when Pierson started shooting a

little after 12:30 p.m. Dec. 13. She says her emotions ran the gamut in the days after the attack, starting with shock in the immediate aftermath. “Yesterday was probably the worst day

for me,” she said Dec. 15, “just realizing how much danger I was in. “Today, I’m more looking ahead, trying to be more positive, for Claire and for everyone.”

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Lone Tree Voice 15

December 19, 2013

SHOOTING AT ARAPAHOE HIGH

Safety measures saved lives, authorities say School shooting is seventh in state history

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN COLORADO HISTORY DEC. 13, 2013 Arapahoe High School, Centennial: 1 wounded, 1 killed DEC. 6, 2010 Aurora Central High School, Aurora: 1 wounded, 0 killed FEB. 23, 2010 Deer Creek Middle School, Littleton: 2 wounded, 0 killed SEPT. 27, 2006 Platte Canyon High School, Bailey: 0 wounded, 2

By Ryan Boldrey

r b o l d re y @ o u rc o l o r a donews.com Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson lauded the efforts of law enforcement officials that arrived on scene Dec. 13 at Arapahoe High School, specifically those of Deputy James Englert, the school resource officer. Englert, the lone officer who was in the building when Arapahoe High School senior Karl Pierson shot and critically wounded fellow student Claire Davis and detonated one of three Molotov cocktails he brought into the school, “saved lives” with his quick and thoughtful actions, Robinson said. “This situation happened,” Robinson said. “But no level of security at the school district could have prevented this.” Robinson said he believes that while the shooter was targeting a specific teacher at the school, he

was prepared to kill as many people as he could. “It’s typical for a shooter to shoot until confronted by a person in authority,” he said. “The response from officers was absolutely critical to the fact that we did not have additional injury and/or death.” Robinson continued to say that there is not a school district in America that has procedures in place that could have stopped what happened from taking place. Multiple school shootings have occurred nationally since 26 students and staff members were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School a year ago in New-

killed APRIL 20, 1999 Columbine High School, Littleton: 21 wounded, 15 killed APRIL 7, 1982 Deer Creek Middle School, Littleton: 0 wounded, 1 killed OCT. 17, 1961 Morey Junior High School, Denver: 1 wounded, 1 killed

town, Conn. This is just the seventh school shooting in state history, however. The shooting is the first in the history of Littleton Public Schools, but there have been three shootings at schools in nearby Jefferson County Schools, all at schools with a Littleton address. The other Colorado shootings were in Aurora, Denver and Bailey. LPS was recently ranked the No. 7 most secure school district in the nation by Security Magazine, something Guy Grace, LPS director of security, credited in part to the district’s “buzz-in systems implemented in all elementary and middle schools, ongo-

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson, right, updates the media Dec. 14 on the investigation into the previous day’s shooting at Arapahoe High School. At left is Littleton Public Schools Superintendent Scott Murphy. Photo by Chris Rotar ing training, security protocols and the district’s close partnership with local lawenforcement agencies.” Uniformed law enforcement officers, like Englert, have a constant presence at all middle and high schools in LPS. In light of the recent shooting, the district has implemented increased police and district security patrol in all middle and high school and all district facilities are being monitored 24/7. “Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Officers responded to this incident immediately, as did Littleton Fire Rescue,” LPS Superintendent Scott Murphy wrote in a letter to parents and staff the

LPS community pulling together

day of the shooting. “Because our schools conduct practice drills regularly, the staff and students knew

how to safely lockdown and then evacuate the school. They acted quickly, appropriately and bravely.”

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jsmith@ourcoloradonews.com Many Littleton Public Schools students donned black and gold Dec. 16 to show solidarity with the wounded Warriors at Arapahoe High School. “We are very concerned about the well-being of the Arapahoe High School community and the LPS community as a whole,” writes Superintendent Scott Murphy. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the students affected by this tragedy.” Arapahoe High School remains closed through this week. Winter break starts the following week, with classes resuming Jan. 7. The district has not yet determined whether AHS will reopen that day. All other Littleton Public Schools returned to their normal schedules Dec. 16. They were all on lockout status on the afternoon of Dec. 13, after 18-year-old student Karl Pierson burst in with a shotgun, critically wounding 17-year-old Claire Davis before killing himself. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department released the building back to LPS as of 6 a.m. Dec. 16, though students were allowed to pick up their cars starting on Dec. 15. Faculty members were asked to return on Dec. 17. No classes are scheduled for the rest of the week, but students can pick up their belongings starting Dec. 19. “Parents are asked to allow their students the opportunity to enter the school independently,” wrote Murphy in a letter to parents. “Grief counselors and other mental-health staff will be on site at all times for students, and I strongly encourage anyone that may need it to take full advantage of it.” Tracy Murphy, the Arapahoe High teacher who it is thought was the main target of the shooter, is asking

A Christmas stocking was among the many signs of support Dec. 15 at Arapahoe High for Claire Davis, the 17-year-old student who is in critical condition after the Dec. 13 shooting at the school. Photo by Chris Rotar for privacy. “Arapahoe High School teacher Tracy Murphy has asked that we share his and his family’s concern for all of the victims of this tragedy,” reads an LPS press release dated Dec. 15. “Littleton Public Schools, the Arapahoe High School community, and the Tracy Murphy family appreciate the support and kindness received over the last few days.” A vigil for Davis held at Arapahoe Park in Centennial Dec. 14 drew a huge crowd, and several groups are working to raise funds for her family. Donations can be sent to the Arapahoe Donation Fund for Claire Davis at First Bank. There’s also an Internet

B I G D E A L #2

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Lone TreeSportS 16-Sports-Color

16 Lone Tree Voice December 19, 2013

Sabercat seniors help team rebound Castle View girls headed to Phoenix By Jim Benton

jbenton@ourcoloradonews.com Castle View’s girls basketball team has packed its composure for its trip to the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix. The Sabercats will be playing national competition Dec. 19, 20 and 21 and coach Matt Hema hopes his team continues to display the same poise that it showed in a 41-32 win over Mullen Dec. 13 in the Castle View gym. Castle View, the No. 5 team in the CHSAANow Class 5A poll, dropped a 61-58 decision to Class 4A No. 7-ranked Valor Christian Dec. 10 but rebounded quickly to break open a close game in the fourth quarter and beat Mullen. The game was tied at 30-all with 5:14 to play when the Sabercats converted three consecutive steals into five points and went on to outscore the Mustangs 11-2 down the stretch. Mullen was held scoreless for 4:32 after rallying to tie the game. “We showed a little more composure down the stretch than we did in the Valor game,” said Hema. “We weren’t sucking wind as much and made good decisions. The defense had to buckle down and we limited them to one shot, which we weren’t doing (early on). “Valor was a game that in the second half we didn’t do anything right. Everything we seemed to do was wrong even from a coaching standpoint. It seemed like every combination we put out there was the wrong combination.” Against Mullen, Jess McGovern scored 12 points to pace the Sabercats while Maya Brown and Taylor Nynas each contributed seven points to the win. Castle View, which failed to connect on a myriad of easy shots around the basket, kept momentum from slipping away by forcing 23 Mustang turnovers. “There were a lot of those layups, those little baskets, those little things and that’s what separates elite teams from the average teams,” admitted Hema. “Those elite teams make those easy plays. That’s where we are trying to get. “We want to get to the point where we are making all those easy buckets, the ones inside, the catch and score off the glass. If we make those, we’ll be right up there with the top teams in the state. If we miss those it gives teams a chance to beat us.” Castle View has an all-senior starting lineup and features eight seniors on its 12-woman roster.

Castle View’s Jess McGovern guards Ryleigh Akridge of Mullen during the Sabercats’ 41-32 win on Dec. 13. Photo by Jim Benton “At this stage we’re much better than we were last year at the same time,” said Hema. We’re all seniors and juniors and the juniors are much better than they were as sophomores. As long as we are showing improvement, I’m happy. “The object is not to be playing our best basketball right now but just be trying to improve.

League (Continental) is going to be tough. Regis is a juggernaut right now. Highlands Ranch is playing good basketball. ThunderRidge is playing well and Rock Canyon is senior-loaded as well. You have four teams in the top five. We obviously have to move our way back after the loss to Valor.”

Valor basketball cruises to 6-0 Chaparral rebounds after loss to Eagles By Jim Benton

jbenton@ourcoloradonews.com Valor Christian boys basketball coach Ronnie DeGray is beginning to get a feel of his team’s personality. “We are starting to get comfortable with who we are as far as a team and we are starting to get some kind of identity,” said DeGray. “We are still not where we want to be right now but we are getting there.” Valor is the No. 1 team in the CHSAANow Class 4A poll and won the Columbine Classic to raise its record to 6-0. “One of the big things in basketball is you don’t want to peak too early,” DeGray said. “You want to make sure you are peaking right before the playoffs. It is tough to achieve. … The intensity level is really high in practice and you want it to carry over to the games. Once we get to January our practices will get a little tougher.”

Valor squared off against Chaparral Dec. 11 in the first game of the three-day, four-team Classic tourney and notched a 79-68 win over the Wolverines. The Eagles then beat Fruita Monument 73-60 Dec. 12 and whipped Columbine 85-71 Dec. 13. “It was awesome,” said DeGray, whose team also beat Castle View, 66-50, one day before the tournament. “It was something for us to play four games in a row and have our best game on the last night. That was gratifying.” Chaparral, playing without injured starters Brandon Malone and Chris Moody, jumped to a 10-2 lead against Valor but last season’s Class 4A state runners-up recovered to take a 34-30 halftime lead. Fueled by a 13-0 run, Valor outscored the Wolverines 27-10 in the third quarter and led by as much as 23 points. Chaparral fought back and trimmed the deficit to seven points with 1:48 remaining in the game but Valor, with its starters reinserted into the lineup, held on for the win. “We played a slow first quarter and then we were getting better

and better,” said DeGray. “We had a couple brain lapses at the end of the third and into the fourth.” Chase Foster led the Eagles with 26 points against the Wolverines with 18 coming in the second half. The 6-foot-5 senior, who has signed to play next year at San Francisco, set a scoring record for the two-year-old tournament with 82 points. He scored 30 points against Fruita and tossed in another 26 against Columbine. “Foster is stepping up,” pointed out DeGray. “He started off the first couple games of the season slow, but now he is starting to find his groove, knocking down shots and making plays for everybody else.” Chaparral was hampered by Jake Holtzmann’s foul trouble and 20 team turnovers in its encounter against Valor. With Malone out for probably the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in football season and Moody sidelined until January after ankle surgery, Holtzman is the Wolverines’ go-to player. The 6-6 junior picked up his third foul in the first quarter, sat out the entire second stanza and part of

the third after collecting his fourth foul. He scored 14 fourth-quarter points and wound up with 18, one less than Chase Coon who led the Wolverines with 19 points. “Turnovers and handling the ball,” Wolverine head coach Rob Johnson growled when asked to evaluate Chaparral’s early season progress. “(We have) skill with the ball and confidence, that’s the frustrating part. Again we are missing a lot of guys and Holtzman gets in foul trouble early. “We are playing with some JV guys but still, that doesn’t matter, you can still handle the ball. It’s frustrating. If we get Moody back, we’ll have some guys with experience to go along with that and that will help.” Chaparral rebounded to beat Columbine, 65-53 and whipped Fruita Monument, 87-45, to close out the tournament and improve its record to 3-2. Holtzmann finished the tourney with 55 points after getting 10 points against Columbine and 27 against Fruita.

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December 19, 2013

Carr stellar at soccer Ponderosa forward chosen as player of year By Jim Benton

jbenton@ ourcoloradonews.com Colton Carr saved his best for last. Carr played four years of soccer for Ponderosa High School and claims his last season was his best. The senior forward was named the Continental League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2013 season and was selected as Colorado Community Media’s South Metro Soccer Player

of the Year. “I was very happy with the season,” said Carr. “It was the best season I had at Ponderosa in all four years of varsity. It felt great. At the end of the season the team was a semifinalist, and mainly winning AllState and MVP of the league was probably the highlight of my year. It’s sweet to be Player of the Year.” Carr finished the season with 17 goals and four assists for 38 points. He accounted for 45 percent of the Mustangs goals this season. “The team clicked and was more focused,” insisted Carr. “There was definitely more maturity than the past couple years because we so

many juniors and seniors. “I worked harder than ever before and I hustled more. Being captain of the team helped a little bit too for me to push them which also in turn pushed me.” Ponderosa coach Jim Engels claims that Carr developed during the year as a soccer player because instead of getting annoyed when getting targeted by opposing defenses, he settled down and found other ways to help the team other than just scoring goals. “I used to get really frustrated when teams or kids would double-team me just because I couldn’t do as much as I could when there was only one person on me,” he said. “Then I just

PICKING THE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR CHOOSING COLORADO

Community Media’s South Metro Athletes of the Year was a combined effort. Area coaches were asked for their thoughts, and their input was weighed heavily when CCM’s sports staff made the final selection for each sport.

ELIGIBLE ATHLETES come from all the high schools in Douglas County, the high schools in the Littleton Public Schools District and from Cherry Creek High School. figured I had to try harder if there are two people on me. I tried twice as hard to beat them instead of just beating one person.”

Ponderosa senior Colton Carr, right, has been selected as Colorado Community Media’s South Metro soccer player of the year. Courtesy photo

SPORTS ROUNDUP New football leagues Five-time state football champion Valor Christian will compete in a league and the Continental League will be overhauled in the new alignments approved Dec. 5 by the

CHSAA Football Committee. All the changes are for football only and still need to be approved by the Legislative Council in January but in most cases that has only been a formality. Valor, an independent the past two seasons, will

play football in the Class 5A Centennial League along with Cherry Creek, Cherokee Trail, Grandview, Overland and Eaglecrest. The school will compete in the Jefferson County League in all other sports at the 4A level next season.

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Our streams want to say thanks for giving them a gift this year. Your actions made a difference for keeping our water clean. You chose to properly dispose of household chemicals, pet waste and trash. You used fertilizers appropriately and kept harmful material out of runoff’s path. You volunteered at local events to preserve our waterways. Keep up the good work.

Regis ch is played as e obe loss

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“We’re just happy for our kids and community that we can be in a league where we can have some rivalries and be a good contributing member,” said Valor assistant athletic director Brian Kula.

• Report accidental and illegal dumping to your local agency • Search local volunteer events • Find more helpful tips

Make your New Year’s Resolution now; get involved. Contact your local agency for upcoming events. Community Media of Colorado agrees: Please recycle this newspaper responsibly and partner with our communities for a better tomorrow. Photo taken along East Plum Creek in Castle Rock.

Ad campaign creative donated by the Town of Castle Rock Utilities Department, Stormwater Division.

Conti

Christmas

SPIRITU AL N

CHILDREN’S: 1:00 & 3:00pm TRADITIONAL: 5:00 & 7:00pm COMMUNION: 9:00pm

SPIRITU

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES:

AT IO

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St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

8817 S. Broadway • Highlands Ranch 80129

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

SPIRITU AL I

Celebration Choir

SPIRITU

Child Care at 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 p.m.

SPIRITU AL N

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L VIT AT I O N A

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at Christ Lutheran Church

9:00 p.m. Service of Lessons & Carols

SPIRITU AL N O I

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www.stlukeshr.com IN

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December 19, 2013

Holiday Worship L VIT AT I O N A

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18 Lone Tree Voice

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Come and join the joy & wonder of Christmas at one of our five Christmas Eve Services on December 24th, 2013!

www.gracecolorado.com You are invited to worship with us on 3:00 pm: Children’s Service 8:00 pm: Carols by Candlelight Service

Christ Lutheran Church Christmas Eve Grace is on the NE corner of Santa Fe Drive and Highlands Ranch Parkway, (across from Murdoch’s).

11:00 pm: Carols and Communion Service

303-798-8485

8997 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch ½ Mile South of C-470

303-791-0803 • www.clchr.org

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, LCMS

9770 Foothills Canyon Boulevard Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 303-683-1300 www.HolyCrossHRCO.org Rev. Bruce Skelton, Pastor

Christmas Services: Sunday School (12/22) 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve (12/24) 3:30 p.m. 7:15 p.m. Christmas Day (12/25) 10:00 a.m. New Years Eve (12/31) 7:15 p.m.

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

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

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

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

TriniTy LuThEran ChurCh 4740 n hwy 83 Franktown, CO (303) 841-4660

Lone Tree Voice 19

December 19, 2013

SPORTS ROUNDUP lands Ranch and pitched for Regis Jesuit High School, has been named lead assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator for Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Continued from Page 17

The Continental League will absorb some former Pioneer League teams, plus Fruita Monument and divide into Continental North and Continental South loops. Rock Canyon, Fruita Monument, Highlands Ranch, Mountain Vista, ThunderRidge and Regis Jesuit will play in the Continental North. The Continental South will be made up of Castle View, Douglas County, Doherty, Fountain Fort Carson, Legend and Chaparral. Arapahoe and Heritage will move into the seven-team South Metro League with Gateway, Aurora Hinkley, Rangeview, Grand Junction and Smoky Hill. Ponderosa, along with Littleton, will be in the Class 4A Plains League. Other teams will be Dakota Ridge, Green Mountain, John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. In another proposal that will have to be approved in January, the 32-team Class 5A playoff field will be set by a seven-person committee rather than by just Wild Card points.

Rocky Heights dominated the middle school competition in the Olympic Archery in Schools Fall Mail-In tournament. The Highlands Ranch middle school took the first six places in the girls’ event. Emily Wilson and Shayna Smith were first with 348 points, followed by Reggie Gaglione, Beka Gaglione, Angelina Avers and Sophia Sobota. Johnny Stack was second in the boys division with 344 points, while teammates Kaden Groves, Leland Boutiler and Patrick Allen fifth took third through fifth.

UCLA defender Gabbi Miranda, who played on two Mountain Vista state championship soccer teams, was named to the Pac 12 All-Freshman team. Miranda had one goal and four assists during the season for the NCAA champion Bruins. Another former Mountain Vista player, defender Chelsea Stewart, also played in the title game, appearing for the runnerup Florida State Seminoles. UCLA edged the Seminoles 1-0 in overtime Dec. 8 to win the national championship.

Rock Canyon players named All-Pioneer

Rock Canyon’s Tanner Cuda, Ryan Hommel, Jack Lamb, Jr. and Trevor Howard were all named first-team All-Pioneer League for the 2013 football season.

Forrest named top assistant

Ryan Forrest, who grew up in High-

HIGHLANDS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

Swimming

Girls basketball

Rocky Heights archers dominate

Miranda on all-fresman team

Prep sports Scoreboard Highlands Ranch 66, Legacy 44 Ciera Morgan scored 23 points for the Falcons in a game they won against Legacy. Symone Starks had 16 points and Emily Childress scored 10.

ROCK CANYON HIGH SCHOOL

Valor Christian 180, George Washington 132 We had eight state qualifying times at the meet and numerous seasonal and lifetime best scores and times. Valor won 10 of the 12 contested events and really rose to the challenge that GW presented. A great team effort that helped us move our dual meet record to 5-0 for the season. Congratulations to our two newest state qualifying swimmers, Sydnie Saddoris (200 Freestyle) and Madison Hoehn (100 Butterfly).

UPCOMING GAMES

Wrestling Rock Canyon 12, Castle View 54 Rock Canyon received wins from Kyle Love, Josh Heifetz and Sam Natvig. Rock Canyon also had a meet against Standley Lake.

VALOR CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL Girls basketball Valor Christian 61, Castle View 58 Valor played relaxed in the second half and played tenacious defense of their own coming back to tie the game at 58 with :19 to play. Valor sealed the victory with free throws at the end. Kendall Bradbury had 21 points and Caroline Bryan had 18 points.

Girls basketball THURSDAY 6 p.m. - Valor Christian @ Heritage Hoopla Tournament TBA - Highlands Ranch @ Nike Tournament of Champions FRIDAY TBA - Valor Christian @ Heritage Hoopla Tournament TBA - Highlands Ranch @ Nike Tournament of Champions SATURDAY TBA - Valor Christian @ Heritage Hoopla Tournament TBA - Highlands Ranch @ Nike Tournament of Champions

Swimming FRIDAY TBA - Valor Christian @ Cheyenne Mountain SATURDAY TBA - Valor Christian @ CHSSCA Coaches Invitational

Holiday Worship Creekside Bible Church invites you to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with us!

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4 pm Family Worship Service 7 and 9 pm, Candlelight Service with Holy Communion Childcare available at all services.

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Christmas Eve services 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Children's Service

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South Metrolife 20-Life

20 Lone Tree Voice December 19, 2013

Dog days of the holidays You can look, but don’t touch those friendly looking police dogs at Denver International Airport. They’re on the job working to protect travelers, and can’t use the distraction. 9News reported last week that DIA has come up with a creative solution to petting police dogs: trading cards. “Brian Brown, a technician with the Denver Police Department Explosive Detection Unit has worked with his bombsniffing partner, Nnikos, for nearly fourand-a-half years,” the 9News report said. “He says his four-legged co-worker gets a lot of attention, especially from kids. “We do not let anybody touch the dogs. Mainly, it’s for liability purposes,” Brown said. “They’re still working animals. We still have a job to do and … I want my dog to go out and work as hard as he can. And the best way to do that is not let people touch them.” In keeping with the “look-don’t-touch” policy, Brown hands out cards to the kids so they can get to know the dogs better without getting too close.

Old Major makes top 33 restaurants list

I won’t mince words. My absolute favorite new restaurant this year is Old Major at 3316 Tejon St. I even chose to celebrate my recent milestone birthday for dinner there with On The Town Junior and Mr. On The Town. I had been to Old Major, a proud noseto-tail eatery where they butcher 2.5 pigs a week (not sure what happens with the other half of the last pig), a handful of times, but I took a risk (and it was my birthday, after all) and booked a table for three to include the hub and my foodie son who works for much-lauded restaurateur Danny Meyer at Maialino in the Gramercy Park Hotel at 2 Lexington Ave. in NYC. My son surprised me with his arrival in Denver to celebrate my special day. Both of my “he-men” went nuts for the place and over the food. We ordered an arsenal of appetizers and an entrée each, which included the nose-to-tail dish, roasted duck breast and orcchiette pasta with roasted pork. Another surprise came last week when Old Major received a national nod via www.thrillistnation.com as being one of the 33 Best New Restaurants in America. And here’s what Thrillist said about Old Major: “Denver’s LoHi neighborhood is bursting at the seams with new, popular bars and restaurants, but Old Major’s `elevated farmhouse cuisine’ stands out among the pack with exceptional cocktails and decadent, inventive cuisine. If you’re smart and/or just understand weekly calendars, swing by on a Wednesday, where you can watch the chef/owner butcher two pigs inhouse, you saucy, food-based voyeur! Then you’ll eat the fruits of his labor on the Nose to Tail Plate, which features cuts like braised belly, confit rib, schnitzel, ham, and ears, all accompanied by mustard spaetzle, sauerkraut, and a demi-glace.” Penny Parker’s “Mile High Life” column gives insights into the best events, restaurants, businesses, parties and people throughout the metro area. Parker also writes for Blacktie-Colorado.com. She can be reached at penny@blacktie-llc.com or at 303-619-5209.

Randy Vaughn and Keith Mc Donald complete new paintings for the Brush “Strokes” exhibit at the Buck Recreation Center in Littleton. Courtesy photo

CLASSES OFFER

HEALING STRO KES

Art exhibit at Littleton’s Buck Recreation Center By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@ourcoloradonews.com For many years, artist Laurie Harbert taught others how to create paintings in popular classes at the Carousel Palette, her studio in a historic downtown Littleton home on Curtice Street. A few months after her mother, Myrlyn Harbert, had a stroke 10 years ago, Laurie helped her start painting again and then, six or seven years ago, started a small painting class to include others who were dealing with various stroke effects. Brush “Strokes,” an exhibit of their work, is in place through December at Buck Recreation Center, 2004 W. Powers Ave., Littleton. “It’s so fun to see what they’ve done,” Laurie Harbert said. “I wanted to give (them) something to look forward to.” The paintings are mostly in oil, with some watercolors and acrylics. They include images of sunny landscapes, can-

yons, mountain meadows, deer and other wildlife, flowers, children and more — rendered in bright, cheerful colors. The introductory statement to the show says: “Coming from the Greek word `Apoplexy,’ the word `Stroke’ means `to be struck down.’ “For these artists, the lives they lived were `struck down’ in moments. “Leaving them to relearn and rebuild. “With differing levels of challenges, these artists have shown amazing courage, amazing Grace and discovered their own Amazing talent.” She includes quotes from her students, who speak of how people can express their own personal thoughts and feelings through artwork; how one can paint again with limited vision and using the other hand; how each participant relates to the other’s plight; how when he could no longer read, he could see enough to paint. Her mother, who felt that “her body was cut in half,“ was painting in three months and now has learned to use a loom knitter as well.

if you go

Brush “Strokes” can be viewed through December at Buck Recreation Center, 2004 W. Powers Ave., Littleton, whenever the center is open — down a long hall to the right of the main entrance door. (Laurie Harbert’s Carousel Palette building is rented to “Checkered Corner: an Occasional Market,” open the third weekend of each month.)

The artists are Vicki Palermo, Randy Vaughn, Keith McDonald M.D., Leann Schrag and Myrlyn Harbert. Laurie says she has been able to return to her own painting now and has joined the Littleton Paint Box Guild. That group has an exhibit, including two of hers, at Bemis Library in Littleton through December. Harbert said she is not personally able to take on more students, but there is a painting class at the Rocky Mountain Stroke Center on South Bannock Street in Littleton. It has an annual “No Plateaus” exhibit at Bemis Library and offers similar positive projects.

finding answers in clay Littleton woman’s designs come to her in dreams By Sonya Ellingboe

sellingboe@ourcoloradonews.com Gwen Pina of Littleton said she had always worked with her hands — mud pies as a kid, woodworking shop in high school. As a parent of three young children, she needed to find a way to work at home and colorful polymer clay provided an answer. “The oil-based synthetic clay is pliable and colorful, allowing me to see my results immediately,” she said. Her lifelong interest in Native American culture worked well with this medium and her figures, such as storytellers and spirit horses, began to sell in area galleries and gift shops. She started her business in 1987, working at home. Soon, she created her whimsical “Art That Makes You Smile” figures: “Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil,” with polar

bears, nuns, rabbis as well as monkeys. She makes thousands of holiday ornaments, many in limited edition for a special customer. “I offer a store a way to be unique. I create custom items for them.” And every piece is individually shaped by her hands. Her designs come to her in dreams, she said. She doesn’t need to make sketches, but just can feel when the figure is right. “When I’m out hiking or biking, I notice colors and textures.” Her work is in National Park Service gift shops across the country, including designs specific to the region: moose, bear and more. Now she mostly wholesales her figurines. She shares a shop #1235 at the Denver Mart, “American Craft,” with several other women, who emphasize their American- made products. Government rules require that the Park Service shops include a percentage of American products Clay continues on Page 17

— so she s Sh throu

Artist Gwen Pina of Littleton works on a polymer clay figure of a Native American woman. Photo by Peggy Dietz

Lone Tree Voice 21

December 19, 2013

Expanded hours slated for exhibit The Denver Art Museum offers expanded hours through the holiday season for “Passport to Paris,” a suite of three French-themed exhibitions, focusing on French art from the late 1600s to the early 1900s. Timed and dated tickets are available online at ParisinDenver.com or by calling 720-913-0130. (There is a fee for booking over the phone.) A ticket includes admission to the entire museum and the Drawing Studio. During extended hours, the entire Hamilton Building will remain open, but the North Building will close at regularly scheduled times. The exhibits are “Court to Café,” “Nature as Muse” and “The Drawing Room.” The exhibits runs through Feb. 9, 2014. Hours through 2013: Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Dec. 26-29, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Local pianist to perform

Lisa Downing of Littleton, just back from European and South American tours, will perform with fellow pianists Bob Baker and Lee Bartley at 7 and 9 p.m. on Dec. 21 at Dazzle Jazz Restaurant and Lounge,

entries, visit coloradohumanities. org, click on programs. Or contact Reem Abu-Baker, coordinator, 303894-7951 ext 21, abu-baker@coloradohumanities.org.

Symphony offers programs

930 Lincoln St., Denver. She describes her style as “Piano Impressionism,” although it has been compared to Windham Hill artists such as George Winston. Tickets: Dazzlejazz.com, 303-839-5100.

Not traditional, but fun

“The Mark Putt Holiday Explosion” with live music, video, comedy, costumes and more offers nontraditional holiday fun at the Toad Tavern, 5302 S. Federal, Littleton at 6 p.m. Dec. 21. (No cover.) The show will also be at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, 1485 Delgany, Denver, at noon Dec. 28. (Museum admission $8, kids free.)

— something she was active in advocating, she said. She participates in trade shows and sells through high end galleries and Christmas

shops and gift catalogs. The Evergreen Gallery has her work in this area and sometimes it is stocked at Willow on Littleton’s Main Street, although not this season. It’s the little Main Street types of places where it sells-Tennyson Street, Santa Fe Art District, South Pearl Street, for example. Pina has mentored young businesses to help them get started and continues to do all of her work from her basement home

Highlands Ranch

Saturday 5:30pm Sunday 8am, 9:30am, 11am Sunday School 9:15am Little Blessings Day Care www.littleblessingspdo.com

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

Open and Welcoming

Sunday Worship 8:00 am Chapel Service 9:00 & 10:30 am

Sunday School 9:00 & 10:30 am

www.st-andrew-umc.com



303-794-2683 Preschool: 303-794-0510

An Evangelical Presbyterian Church

A place for you

 Franktown

  



Trinity Lutheran Church & School

Sunday Worship 8:00 & 10:45 a.m.

GRACE PRESBYTERIAN Alongside One Another On Life’s Journey

www.gracecolorado.com

You are invited to worship with us:

Sundays at 10:00 am

Grace is on the NE Corner of Santa Fe Dr. & Highlands Ranch Pkwy. (Across from Murdochs)

303-798-8485

Trinity Lutheran School & ELC (Ages 3-5, Grades K-8)

 303-841-4660 www.tlcas.org  To advertise your place of worship in this  section, call 303-566-4091 or email

 

(Next to RTD lot @470 & University)

Worship Services Sundays at 9:00am

303-791-3315

pastor@awlc.org www.awlc.org

Littleton

studio, which is divided into work space, invoicing/computer space and a packing and shipping area. She orders 1,000 pounds of clay every couple of months and it’s shelved by color. It’s gotten easier with the possibility of having the U.S. Post Office and Fed-Ex come to her door to pick up shipments, with a click on her computer. Regarding her disciplined ongoing work

Lone Tree

Parker

Joy

Church of Christ

Currently meeting at: 9220 Kimmer Drive, Suite 200 Lone Tree 80124 303-688-9506 www.LoneTreeCoC.com

schedule, she laughs and says, “I went to Catholic school!” Her individual retail outlet is on the Etsy site: claytwister.com, where she can do a custom order if a customer has a special request. Right now, she is working six or seven days a week and she anticipates a break after the holidays. “And then I’ll begin designing…”

Parker

Lone Tree

Sunday Worship - 10:00am Bible Study immediately following Wednesday Bible Study - 7:30pm

“Twelve and A Half Days of Christmas Live!” offers daily performances in the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver’s atrium, with musicians, actors, singers and others at 5 p.m. weeknights and noon on Saturdays and Sundays Dec. 20 through Jan. 5. Free with museum admission $8/$5, kids free. mcadenver.org, 303-298-7554.

LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA

SErviCES:

Saturday 5:30pm

Sunday 8:00 & 10:30am

Education Hour: Sunday 9:15am Joyful Mission Preschool 303-841-3770 7051 East Parker Hills Ct. • Parker, CO 303-841-3739 www.joylutheran-parker.org

kearhart@ourcoloradonews.com.

Congregation Beth Shalom Join us at Sheraton Denver Tech Center 7007 S Clinton Street in Greenwood Village (nearby I-25 and Arapahoe Rd.)

www.cbsdenver.org

303-794-6643

Parker Where people are excited about God’s Word.

Sunday Worship: 10:45AM & 6PM Bible Study: 9:30AM Children, Young People & Adults

Welcome Home!

303-663-5751

“Loving God - Making A Difference” 

8391 S. Burnley Ct., Highlands Ranch

books include any work published by a Colorado author, illustrator, editor, publisher or photographer in 2013: hardback, paperback or ebook format. For information on

Daily performances at MCAD

9203 S. University Blvd. Highlands Ranch, 80126

 Sunday Worship 10:30  4825 North Crowfoot Valley Rd.  Castle Rock • canyonscc.org



Highlands Ranch

Abiding Word Lutheran Church

First United Methodist Church

Services:

ter for the book is accepting entries for the 2014 Colorado Book Awards, recognizing the best books by Colorado authors, editors, publishers in a number of categories. Eligible

Colorado Humanities and Cen-

Continued from Page 20

1200 South Street Castle Rock, CO 80104 303.688.3047 www.fumccr.org

“An Interior with a Lady, her Maid and a Gentleman,” 1776 Oil on canvas, From the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is included in the Court to Café portion of “Passport to Paris” at the Denver Art Museum. Courtesy photo

Call for writers

Clay

Castle Rock

The Colorado Symphony offers two favorite holiday programs: • “Colorado Christmas” with the Colorado Symphony Chorus and the Colorado Children’s Chorale on Dec. 20-22 at Boettcher Concert Hall. • Too Hot To Handel,” a jazz version of the “messiah,” conducted this year by Leslie Stifelman on Dec. 28-29. Tickets for both: coloradosymphony.org, 303-623-7876.

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 www.gracepointcc.us

First Presbyterian Church of Littleton

Parker evangelical Presbyterian church Connect – Grow – Serve

Sunday Worship

8:45 am & 10:30 am 9030 Miller road Parker, Co 80138 303-841-2125 www.pepc.org United Church of Christ Parker Hilltop Christmas Eve Services: 4:30, 7:00 and 9:00pm

Sunday

8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

1609 W. Littleton Blvd. (303) 798-1389 • www.fpcl.org

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

www.P a r k er C C R S.org P.O. Box 2945—Parker CO 80134-2945

4391 E Mainstreet, Parker, Colorado 80134 Church Office – (303) 841-3836

www.parkerbiblechurch.org United Church Of Christ Parker Hilltop 10926 E. Democrat Rd. Parker, CO • 10am Worship www.uccparkerhilltop.org 303-841-2808

Denver Tech Center

Meets at the Marriott DTC 4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO 80237

10 am every Sunday Free parking

1092 E. Democrat Rd in Parker

303-841-2808

December Study:

The Cast of Christmas Pastor Mark Brewer

22-Sports

22 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

High school journalists earn national award Mountain Vista news magazine features tough issues, quality work By Jane Reuter

jreuter @ourcoloradonews.com Mountain Vista High School journalism students don’t shy away from tough subjects. A 2012 story in the Eagle Eye news magazine detailed the struggles of a drug-addicted student, including an admission he pawned his mother’s jewelry to help feed his habit. Another revealed the difficulties faced by a student with epilepsy.

This year, staff members jumped into the spider web of issues facing the Douglas County School District. Students hosted a candidate forum and staff members attend every board meeting. The National Scholastic Press Association noticed. It gave the Eagle Eye a Pacemaker Award — its highest honor — during the 2013 Fall National High School Journalism Convention. “Our adviser always tells us, it’s all about the content,” said senior Taylor Blatchford, co-editorin-chief. If you have great content, you can’t really go wrong there.” The school’s journalism program, called the VISTAj, includes the yearbook, a

adindex The Lone Tree Voice is made possible thanks to our local advertisers. When you spend your dollars near your home – especially with these advertisers – it keeps your community strong, prosperous and informed.

broadcast program and the news magazine. “We really dedicated ourselves to making our program the best comprehensive (journalism) program we could,” Blatchford said. “But the magazine was where we could really display a lot of our great, indepth feature writing and reporting.” Blatchford intends to pursue a career in journalism, but co-editors Wes Edwards and Dylan Ingram are leaning toward the legal field. Regardless of career choice, both the students and their adviser say the comprehensive program teaches them invaluable skills. “The skills we are teaching in journalism are transferrable to every profession,” journalism teacher and VISTAj adviser Mark Newton said. “If they understand journalism, they understand freedom, democracy and the world. They understand that you have a voice, and if you use it responsibly, you’re going to make a difference in the world.” Each edition of the Eagle Eye has a central theme, the students said, and stories are chosen based on quality.

From left, Gabe Rodriguez, Taylor Atlas, Wes Edwards and Taylor Blatchford are prt of Mountain Vista High School’s award-winning journalism team. Courtesy photo “Whoever has written the best story and has the best pictures, theirs is the one that goes in,” Eagle Eye co-managing editor Dylan Ingram said. “We’re dedicated to having the best product possible.” Co-editor-in-chief Wes Edwards said winning the award was surreal. “Journalism is one of

those things that’s taken for granted at a lot of high schools,” he said, adding it was especially rewarding “to get recognition not only from our school and district, but from a bunch of other journalists across the country who compared it to other (publications) and said, `These guys get it.’ ” That’s not news to New-

ton, who won’t take credit for the award. “I turn on the lights; I empower them and support them and advise them,” he said; the students do the rest. “They’re that good.” Five Mountain Vista and two Legend students were separately recognized during a writing competition held at the convention.

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Handmade cards, stockings sent to troops

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School, church send holiday greetings to Marine unit

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ShopLocalColorado.com brought to you by

By Chris Michlewicz

cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com Lessons in giving aren’t hard to come by at Trinity Lutheran Church and School, especially around Christmas. The campus, on the southeast corner of State Highway 83 and Bayou Gulch Road, across from Ponderosa High School, teems with activity every November and December. Trinity Lutheran provides just one example of what happens at local churches and schools every holiday season. In the weeks after Thanksgiving, school kids and church congregants were busy preparing Christmas stockings for a Marine unit stationed in Afghanistan. Kindergartners, along with the church youth group and the young-at-heart seniors group, decorated envelopes for handmade cards, the centerpiece of each stocking. Each contains a message saying “thank you for your service,” along with notes that let the Marines know that people back home are thinking of them this time of year. The stockings were filled to the brim with snacks, including meat sticks, dried fruit, nuts, candy canes, gum, crackers, hard candy and mixes for cold drinks like iced tea. They are items that are hard to come by for the Marines, who are stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand province. The effort began with a small idea: church member Heather Pankratz and her children planned to send a few Christmas cards to troops overseas. She remembered that Lucas Crowe, a 2001 Chaparral High School graduate, had been listed in the “prayer” section of the church’s newsletter, and decided he would be the perfect candidate. But when church and school officials caught wind of the project, things grew exponentially. “It started with just wanting to send some cards and a few treats, but this congregation and this school are undeniably the most generous, and just wanting to help and take care of people,” Pankratz said. Lucas’s mother, Janine, who has attended church at Trinity Lutheran since 1996, was elated by the news, but not surprised. She called the campaign to include stockings for Lucas’ comrades “heartwarming.” “It just gives me goose bumps,” Janine Crowe said. “It’s fantastic.” Lucas, 30, has been in Afghanistan since August and is on a seven- to nine-month deployment. He is in charge of emergency equipment for Marine helicopters, including parachutes, oxygen masks and ejection seats. When asked what he might want in a care package, Lucas mentioned junk food. He and his Marine unit - 75 men and five women - are unaware that six large shipping boxes full of stockings are en route to the base. The food will be a welcome taste of home until it runs out. The cards, however, with sincere messages of gratitude,

Trinity Lutheran School fourth-grader Liam Ruwet, of Castle Rock, selects a handmade Christmas card to put in a stocking for a Marine in Afghanistan. Photo by Chris Michlewicz are the enduring components of the stockings. Personal, handwritten notes can carry even more meaning during a holiday season away from family, Pankratz said. All told, more than 100 people were involved in the stocking-stuffing effort. Students in grades fourth through eighth helped load the stockings, assembly line-style. Some kids, like Sydney Hessler and Liam Ruwet, carefully scanned the hand-drawn cards, trying to choose the perfect one. And because the women’s ministry and a school family offered to cover shipping costs for the boxes, the $175 in donated funds was used to buy more goodies. Christmas projects are not uncommon at Trinity Lutheran. The church also has an angel tree this year, which enables families to buy specific gifts for those in need. The church and school have also been involved in Operation Christmas Child, flood relief efforts and Thanksgiving food drives for the Parker Task Force. Pankratz says they try to balance local, national and international philanthropy to maintain a broad reach.

Lone Tree Voice 23

December 19, 2013

SALOME’S STARS

crossword • sudoku

FOR THE WEEK OF DEC 18, 2013

GALLERY OF GAMES

ARIES (Mar 21 to Apr 19) Careful, Lamb. Don’t let your generous nature lead to some serious overspending as you contemplate your holiday gift-giving. Your social life kicks off into high gear by week’s end. TAURUS (Apr 20 to May 20) A positive attitude helps you weather annoying but unavoidable changes in holiday plans. Aspects favor new friendships and reinforcement of existing relationships.

& weekly horoscope

GEMINI (May 21 to Jun 20) Demands on your energy level could be much higher than usual as you prepare for the upcoming holidays. Be sure to pace yourself. Friends and family will be happy to help. CANCER (Jun 21 to Jul 22) Don’t allow a suddenly icy reaction from a friend or family member to continue without learning what caused it -- and what can be done to restore that once warm and caring relationship.

crossword • sudoku & weekly horoscope

GALLERY OF GAMES

LEO (Jul 23 to Aug 22) A relationship seems to be unraveling, mostly from a lack of attention. It might be a good idea to ease up on whatever else you’re doing so you can spend more time working to mend it. VIRGO (Aug 23 to Sept 22) New facts emerge that not only help explain the recent rift with a trusted colleague, but also might provide a chance to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start in your friendship. LIBRA (Sept 23 to Oct 22) A family member’s personal situation is, fortunately, resolved in time for you to get back into your hectic round of holiday preparations. An old friend might bring a new friend into your life.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 to Nov 21) Pace yourself in meeting holiday pressures and workplace demands to avoid winding up with a frayed temper and a Scorpian stinger that lashes out at puzzled kith, kin and colleagues. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 to Dec 21) A financial matter requires close attention. Also, news from a trusted source provides the means to help sort out a longstanding state of confusion and put it into perspective. CAPRICORN (Dec 22 to Jan 19) This is a good time to reinforce family ties. Make it a priority to assess and resolve all outstanding problems. Start the upcoming holiday season with a full measure of love. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 to Feb 18) Don’t be pressured into a so-called solid-gold investment. Wait until the holiday distractions are over. Then take a harder look at it. You might find that the “gold” is starting to flake off. PISCES (Feb 19 to Mar 20) A former friend might be trying to heal the breach between you by using a mutual friend as an intermediary. Best advice: Keep an open mind despite any lingering bad feelings.

Public Trustees PUBLIC NOTICE Englewood NOTICE OF SALE Public Trustee Sale No. 2013-0637 To Whom It May Concern: On 10/9/2013 the undersigned Public Trustee caused the Notice of Election and Demand relating to the Deed of Trust described below to be recorded in Douglas County. Original Grantor: BRIAN M SMITH Original Beneficiary: KB HOME MORTGAGE COMPANY Current Holder of Evidence of Debt: COLORADO HOUSING AND FINANCE AUTHORITY Date of Deed of Trust (DOT): 3/25/2004 Recording Date of DOT: 5/3/2004 Reception No. of DOT: 2004044329 DOT Recorded in Douglas County. Original Principal Amount of Evidence of Debt: $182,756.00 Outstanding Principal Amount as of the date hereof: $175,461.06 Pursuant to C.R.S. §38-38-101 (4) (i), you are hereby notified that the covenants of the deed of trust have been violated as follows: the failure to timely make payments as required under the Deed of Trust. THE LIEN FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN. The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust. Legal Description of Real Property: UNIT D, CONDOMINIUM BUILDING 22, MERIDIAN-VILLA CONDOMINIUMS, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP THEREOF, RECORDED ON MARCH 19, 2004 AT RECEPTION NO. 2004027778, IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO AND AS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED IN THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF MERIDIAN-VILLA CONDOMINIUMS, RECORDED ON JANUARY 16, 2004 AT RECEPTION NO. 2004007079, IN SAID RECORDS, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO. Which has the address of: 12834 Mayfair Way Unit D, Englewood, CO 80112 The Deed of Trust was modified by a document recorded in Douglas County on 8/26/2011, Reception number 2011051865. Reason modified and any other modifications: Legal Description. NOTICE OF SALE The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wed-

The property described herein is all of the property encumbered by the lien of the deed of trust. Legal Description of Real Property: UNIT D, CONDOMINIUM BUILDING 22, MERIDIAN-VILLA CONDOMINIUMS, ACCORDING TO THE CONDOMINIUM MAP THEREOF, RECORDED ON MARCH 19, 2004 AT RECEPTION NO. 2004027778, IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK AND RECORDER OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO AND AS DEFINED AND DESCRIBED IN THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OF MERIDIAN-VILLA CONDOMINIUMS, RECORDED ON JANUARY 16, 2004 AT RECEPTION NO. 2004007079, IN SAID RECORDS, COUNTY OF DOUGLAS, STATE OF COLORADO. Which has the address of: 12834 Mayfair Way Unit D, Englewood, CO 80112 The Deed of Trust was modified by a document recorded in Douglas County on 8/26/2011, Reception number 2011051865. Reason modified and any other modifications: Legal Description.

Public Trustees

NOTICE OF SALE The current holder of the Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust described herein, has filed written election and demand for sale as provided by law and in said Deed of Trust. THEREFORE, Notice Is Hereby Given that on the first possible sale date (unless the sale is continued*) at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 29, 2014, at the Public Trustee’s office, 402 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, I will sell at public auction to the highest and best bidder for cash, the said real property and all interest of said Grantor(s), Grantor(s)’ heirs and assigns therein, for the purpose of paying the indebtedness provided in said Evidence of Debt secured by the Deed of Trust, plus attorneys’ fees, the expenses of sale and other items allowed by law, and will deliver to the purchaser a Certificate of Purchase, all as provided by law. First Publication: 12/5/2013 Last Publication: 1/2/2014 Publisher: Douglas County News Press Dated: 10/9/2013 GEORGE J KENNEDY DOUGLAS COUNTY Public Trustee The name, address and telephone numbers of the attorney(s) representing the legal holder of the indebtedness is: EVE M GRINA Colorado Registration #: 43658 9800 S. MERIDIAN BLVD. SUITE 400, ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112 Phone #: (303) 706-9990 Fax #: Attorney File #: 31053 *YOU MAY TRACK FORECLOSURE SALE DATES on the Public Trustee website: http://www.douglas.co.us/publictrustee/ Legal Notice No. 2013-0637 First Publication: 12/5/2013 Last Publication: 1/2/2014 Publisher: Douglas County News Press

Government Legals Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the Same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: OCCUPANT - Dennis R Larratt - H C Gerber & Lurline A Gerber aka H C Gerber & Lurline A Gerber in Joint Tenancy - J O Hill - Lonnie Gerber - Security Title Ab-

Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the Same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to:

Government Legals

OCCUPANT - Dennis R Larratt - H C Gerber & Lurline A Gerber aka H C Gerber & Lurline A Gerber in Joint Tenancy - J O Hill - Lonnie Gerber - Security Title Abstract & Title Company as Agent for The Title Guaranty Company, Denver -Stephen Bruce Gale You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 13th day of November 2008 the then County Treasurer of the County of Douglas, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to Dennis R Larratt the following described real estate situate in the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, to wit: LOT 1 BLK 4 WEST CREEK LAKES SUBD .5 AM/L and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to Dennis R Larratt. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2007; That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of H C Gerber & Lurline A Gerber for said year 2007.That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said Dennis R Larratt at 1:00 o’clock P.M., on the 20th day of March 2014, unless the same has been redeemed. Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed. Witness my hand this 21st day of November 2013. /s/ Diane A. Holbert County Treasurer of Douglas County Legal Notice No.: 924554 First Publication: December 5, 2013 Last Publication: December 19, 2013 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice NOTICE OF PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AT TAX LIEN SALE AND OF APPLICATION FOR ISSUANCE OF TREASURER’S DEED To Every Person in Actual Possession or Occupancy of the hereinafter Described Land, Lot or Premises, and to the Person in Whose Name the Same was Taxed or Specially Assessed, and to all Persons having an Interest or Title of Record in or to the said Premises and To Whom It May Concern, and more especially to: OCCUPANT - A Cory Siegel, President c/o The Mountain Improvement Association, Inc - Anderson, Dude & Lebel PC, Attorneys at Law - Board of Directors of the Association c/o Woodmoor Mountain

Government Legals

OCCUPANT - A Cory Siegel, President c/o The Mountain Improvement Association, Inc - Anderson, Dude & Lebel PC, Attorneys at Law - Board of Directors of the Association c/o Woodmoor Mountain Homeowners Assoc - Brian Haskins, President c/o The Mountain Ranch Company - Craig C Ramsey - Guy L Welch, Agent for the Association - Nelson & Donna Parkinson aka Nelson Parkinson and Donna Parkinson - Nelson F Parkinson - Steven N Arnold, Secretary c/o The Mountain Ranch Company -The Mountain Improvement Association, Inc aka Mountain Improvement Association, Inc - The Mountain Ranch Company aka Mountain Ranch Company - Thomas N Mace, as President of the Association c/o Woodmoor Mountain Homeowners Association Woodmoor Mountain Homeowners Association aka "Association" - Woodmoor Mountain Homeowners Association a Colorado non-profit corporation You and each of you are hereby notified that on the 21st day of October 2010 the then County Treasurer of the County of Douglas, in the State of Colorado, sold at public tax lien sale to Craig C Ramsey the following described real estate situate in the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, to wit: LOT 8 WOODMOOR MOUNTAIN 2 3.021 AM/L and said County Treasurer issued a certificate of purchase therefore to Craig C Ramsey. That said tax lien sale was made to satisfy the delinquent taxes assessed against said real estate for the year 2009; That said real estate was taxed or specially assessed in the name(s) of Nelson & Donna Parkinson for said year 2009.That a Treasurer’s Deed will be issued for said real estate to the said Craig C Ramsey at1:00 o’clock P.M., on the 20th day of March 2014, unless the same has been redeemed. Said property may be redeemed from said sale at any time prior to the actual execution of said Treasurer’s Deed. Witness my hand this 21st day of November 2013. /s/ Diane A. Holbert County Treasurer of Douglas County Legal Notice No.: 924555 First Publication: December 5, 2013 Last Publication: December 19, 2013 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press

Public Notice

Government Legals PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF CONTRACTORS SETTLEMENT COUNTY OF DOUGLAS STATE OF COLORADO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 38-26-107, C.R.S., as amended, that on January 11, 2014 final settlement will be made by the County of Douglas, State of Colorado, for and on account of a contract between Douglas County and Concrete Works of Colorado, Inc. for the South Broadway Improvement Project (Dad Clark Drive to County Line Road), Douglas County Project Number CI 2003-022 in Douglas County; and that any person, co-partnership, association or corporation that has an unpaid claim against said Concrete Works of Colorado, Inc. for or on account of the furnishing of labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender or other supplies used or consumed by such contractor or any of his subcontractors in or about the performance of said work, or that supplied rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of said work, may at any time up to and including said time of such final settlement on said January 11, 2014, file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid on account of such claim with the Board of County Commissioners, c/o Public Works Engineering Director, with a copy to the Project Engineer Dennis Lobberding, Department of Public Works Engineering, Philip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104. Failure on the part of claimant to file such statement prior to such final settlement will relieve said County of Douglas from all and any liability for such claimant's claim. The Board of Douglas County Commissioners of the County of Douglas, Colorado, By: Frederick H. Koch, P.E., Public Works Engineering Director. Legal Notice No.: 924603 First Publication: December 12, 2013 Last Publication: December 19, 2013 Publisher: Douglas County News-Press Public Notice PUBLIC INVITATION TO BID Separate sealed bids for DOUBLE ANGEL ROAD EXTENSION PROJECT (CHAMBERS ROAD TO HESS ROAD), DOUGLAS COUNTY PROJECT NUMBER CI 2011-022 will be received by the Owner, Douglas County Government, Department of Community Planning and Sustainable Development, Engineering Division, Phillip S. Miller Building, 100

PUBLIC INVITATION TO BID

Government Legals

Separate sealed bids for DOUBLE ANGEL ROAD EXTENSION PROJECT (CHAMBERS ROAD TO HESS ROAD), DOUGLAS COUNTY PROJECT NUMBER CI 2011-022 will be received by the Owner, Douglas County Government, Department of Community Planning and Sustainable Development, Engineering Division, Phillip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104, until Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. This project consists of the removal and replacement of pipe, sidewalk, curb and gutter, asphalt paving, striping and signing for the roadway extension along Double Angel Road from Hess Road to Chambers Road. The Contract Documents may be examined at the above address after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2013, and copies of the Contract Documents may be obtained upon payment of $35.00 for each set. The $35.00 is non-refundable. (Additional charge if mailing is required.) A PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, at the Department of Community Planning and Sustainable Development, Engineering Division, Phillip S. Miller Building, 100 Third Street, Suite 220, Castle Rock, CO 80104. The Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14, 2014, at the same address. The Project includes the following major items and approximate quantities: • Unclassified Excavation – 16,106 CY • Aggregate Base Course (Class 6) – 4,545 CY • HMA (SG, S & SX) – 5,131 Ton • Curb and Gutter – 5,568 LF • 18 Inch RCP – 496 LF • 24 Inch RCP – 258 LF Prior to submitting a Bid Proposal, Bidders shall have received prequalification status (active status) with the Colorado Department of Transportation to bid on individual projects of the size and kind of work as set forth herein. Any questions on the bidding process may be directed to Sean Owens, Project Engineer at 303.660.7490. For Planholder Information, Please Call 303.660.7490 (Front Desk) Legal Notice No.: 924627 First Publication: December 12, 2013 Last Publication: December 19, 2013 Publisher: Douglas County News-Pres

24-Color

24 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013

CAREERS Advertise: 303-566-4100

OurColoradoClassifieds.com

Misc. Notices Want To Purchase minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: P.O. Box 13557 Denver, CO 80201

We are community.

Misc. Notices

Grain Finished Buffalo

quartered, halves and whole

719-775-8742

Grass Fed - Free Range Beef - All Organic, No Hormones, No Steroids, No Antibiotics. Whole, Half's and Quarters Available. Cut and Rapped to your specifications $4.00 per pound. Credit Cards Excepted 720-252-5387 Locally raised, grass fed and grain finished Beef & Pork. Quarters, halves, wholes available. Can deliver 720-434-1322 schmidtfamilyfarms.com

Bicycles

ELECTRIC BIKES: New & used No Gas, License, or Registration. 303-257-0164

Building Materials Steel Building Allocated Discounts 40x60 on up We do deals www.gosteelbuildings.com Source# 18X 970-788-3191

Firewood Pine/Fur & Aspen

Split & Delivered $225 Stacking available extra $25 Some delivery charges may apply depending on location. Hauling scrap metal also available (appliances, batteries etc.) Call 303-647-2475 or 720-323-2173 Firewood $275 a cord for seasoned hard wood delivered within a 10 mile radius of my yard. 303-432-3503

Help Wanted

Academy for Dental Assisting Careers

Can you spot a business opportunity?

January Classes for Dental Assisting and Dental Lab Technician.

Because we have one for you!

minerals and other oil/gas interests. Send details to: P.O. Box 13557 Denver, CO 80201

Your Community Connector to Boundless Rewards

Dogs

LOSE WEIGHT

AKC yellow lab female 3-1/2 months old excellent bloodlines, $900 neg. Call Don (303)233-5885

www.wl3030.com

Horse & Tack

FOR THE LAST TIME! Safe, Natural Doctor Recommended Follow Up Provided Call Today! 303-885-9733

What are Essential Oils?

Learn how they can help with physical and emotional challenges. FREE Compass Reading.

Marty (303)995-2995

Household Goods Pool Table 4x8 Solid Ash w/all accessories, exc. cond. Slate surface $1200 GE 14 CF refrigerator, auto defrost, almond color, like new cond. $250 (720)842-4895

Comfy chair and ottoman $60; 6 gun cabinet, no glass, locking drawer $30; Bun & Thigh Rocker by Jake $35; Dr.'s Healthometer scale/height $35; tools 4 drywall, concrete, tile, wallpaper cheap; legal hanging folders and files cheap. Commercial shelving. 303 688-9171

Office Equipment STORE CLOSING! Fixtures and equipment for sale office furn, HP printers, check out counter, warehouse shelving, household furn., lamp parts 303-420-2010 Call 10am-4pm Tues-Sat

Riding Horses Available Boarding, leasing, lessons, Birthday Parties, Volunteering and Tours. Friends of Horses Rescue & Adoption 303-649-1155 www.getahorse.org

Lost and Found Lost black Labrador Retriever,

female. English style, very friendly. Lost in Parker, Country Meadows area. Microchipped.

(303) 805-1512

Autos for Sale 1999 Chrysler Concorde LXI Excellent Condition, 1 owner, oil changed at dealership ever 3,000 miles, Always garaged, automatic transmission, 3.2 liter engine, drives well in the snow $2700 (303)237-1212

Boats and Water Sports For Sale 1983 Four Winns 305 inboard motor swim board, stereo, CD player White/ light blue $2600 720-989-6758 or 303-601-0918

Tickets/Travel

Wanted

All Tickets Buy/Sell

NFL-NBA-NHL-NCAA-MLB WWW.DENVERTICKET.COM (303)-420-5000

Cash for all Cars and Trucks Under $1000 Running or not. Any condition

Video Games Large selection of video games, pin balls, air hockey, etc. Priced reasonably for Christmas. email: Christmasarcades@gmail.com or call 720-270-1797

PETS

(303)741-0762 bestcashforcars.com

DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK, BOAT, RV; Running or not, to www.developmentaldisabled.org Please Recycle 303-659-8086. this Publication Tax deductible! 14 years ofwhen service Finished Top Cash Paid for Junk Cars Up to $500 720-333-6832

Flowers/Plants/Trees

Earn up to $1,000 per month!

COOKS AND BANQUET SERVERS

Needed immediately for large venue in Black Hawk. Training provided for servers with limited experience. No felonies last 7yrs. $10.75-12.00/hr. Call (303) 480-0070 Drivers: Home Nightly! Great Paying CDL-A Flatbed Runs. 1yr Exp. Req. Estenson Logistics. Apply: www.goelc.com 1-888-399-5856

Executive Office Assistant

For Local News, Anytime of the Day Visit ColoradoCommunityMedia.com

TIME’S RUNNING OUT!

Get your cash for CHRISTMAS!

Call 303-566-4100

Performs highly skilled and semi-skilled mechanical repair and diagnostic work in the maintenance and/or repair of equipment and vehicles. Must be proficient in heavy equipment and light vehicle diagnostics. For position requirements, qualifications, and job description visit our web-site (http://co.gilpin.co.us) Open Until Filled. $18.40 - $20.24 DOQ. Applications are available at: Gilpin County Human Resources, 495 Apex Valley Road, Black Hawk, CO Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or on our website (http://co.gilpin.co.us). Please submit your application to: Gilpin County Human Resources, P.O. Box 366, Central City, CO 80427; Fax: (303) 951-3675. Gilpin County is Equal Opportunity Employer

Colorado Statewide Classified Advertising Network

(Denver metro)

Savio House is looking for Foster Parents to provide a temporary home for troubled teens ages 12-18. We provide training, 24/7 support and $1900/month. Adequate space and complete background and motor vehicle check required. Ideally there are no other teens in the home and one parent would have flexible daytime schedule. Contact Michelle for more information at 303-225-4073. Inovant, LLC, a Visa Inc. company, currently has openings in our Highlands Ranch, Colorado location for: - Sr . Sy s te m s Ad m i n i s tr a to r s (133501) to be responsible for implementation of storage and SAN infrastructure based on business requirements and adhering to tight operations, security, and procedural models. Under minimal supervision, perform a high level of technical expertise to support complex Storage Devices including SAN, NAS and Tier I, II, III solutions. Apply online at www.visa.com and reference Job #133501. EOE

HOUSEKEEPER/ LAUNDRY AIDE Life Care Center of Evergreen Full-time position available. Housekeeping and/or laundry experience in a long-term care facility preferred. High school diploma or equivalent required. We offer great pay and benefits in a team-oriented environment.

To place a 25-word COSCAN Network ad in 74 Colorado newspapers for only $250, contact you local newspaper or call SYNC2 Media at 303-571-5117. HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Indian Creek Express is HIRING!!! *Local Driver *OTR Drivers, Singles/Teams *Fleet Mechanic (Entry-level/Advanced) *Dispatchers Benefits, Weekly pay, Drivers: home weekly, Mechanics & Dispatchers: FULL TIME 40+/wk.

25 DRIVER TRAINEES NEEDED! Learn to drive for Swift Transportation at US Truck. Earn $750 per week! CDL & Job Ready in 3 weeks! 1-800-809-2141

877-273-3582

HELP WANTED

ATTN: 29 Serious People to Work from Anywhere using a computer. Up to $1,500-$5,000PT/FT www.ValleyIncomeOnline.com

SYNC2 MEDIA

Buy a statewide classified line ad in newspapers across Colorado for just $250 per week. Maximize results with our Frequency Deals! Contact this newspaper or call SYNC2 Media at 303-571-5117

Equipment Operator I Public Works: Operates a variety of heavy equipment such as graders, loaders, dozers and tandem trucks; services and maintains assigned equipment. Plows snow and performs manual labor as necessary. For position requirements, qualifications and job description visit our web-site (http://co.gilpin.co.us). Open Until Filled $16.01 - $16.81 DOQ. Applications are available at: Gilpin County Human Resources, 495 Apex Valley Road, Black Hawk, CO Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or on our website (http://co.gilpin.co.us). Please submit your application to: Gilpin County Human Resources, P.O. Box 366, Central City, CO 80427; Fax: (303) 951-3675 *** CDL APPLICATON REQUIRED *** Gilpin County is Equal Opportunity Employer

Eileen Gandee 303-674-4500 | 303-674-8436 Fax 2987 Bergen Peak Dr. | Evergreen, CO 80439 Eileen_Gandee@LCCA.com Visit us: LCCA.COM EOE/M/F/V/D – 39756

Keep Kids Together Abused and neglected brothers and sisters are often separated in foster care. There just aren’t enough foster homes to keep them together. This leaves them sad, anxious and confused and they feel like it’s “all their fault.” Give the Gift of Hope-Become a Savio foster parent.

LEGITIMATE WORK AT HOME Your Community Connector to Boundless Rewards

Public Works:

Home for the Holidays

Call Tracy Stuart 303/225-4152

Sell YOUR unwanted items here.

Fleet Mechanic

Seeking a friendly, positive, happy person with executive assistant experience. Good computer skills a must. We offer great pay, great work environment and flexibility of schedule. Please send resume to: office@myers.bz fax resume to 866-288-1489 Social Media Skills a +

for sale at Sedalia Conoco Weekends only until Christmas Fresh Cut Douglas Fir 303-647-2475 / 720-323-2173

Furniture

Call 303-954-CASH or 800-892-6403 anytime!

Caregivers to provide in-home care to senior citizens who need assistance with activities of daily living. Call Today 303-736-6688 www.visitingangels.com /employment

Christmas Trees

Cat Nap Recliner - hand remote to recline and bring to standing position, dark olive color. 1 year old used 3 weeks. $275 (720)379-8758

The Denver Post is looking for dependable adults to deliver newspapers in the metro area. Need reliable vehicle, valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance. Early morning hours, seven days per week.

Call 303-774-8100. academyfordentalassistingcareers .com

Advertise: 303-566-4100

Health and Beauty

Miscellaneous Montana 27" Mountain bicycle. Very good condition. $50 812 322 2804

Help Wanted

Want To Purchase

MARKETPL CE Farm Products & Produce

Advertise: 303-566-4100

No Sales, no Investment, No Risk, Free training, Free website. Contact Susan at 303-646-4171 or fill out form at www.wisechoice4u.com

Excel Personnel is now HIRING!! Excellent opportunity to put your filing and assembly skills to work for the world’s leading provider of aeronautical data! 1ST SHIFT MON – FRI: 6AM – 2:30PM $9.50/hr 2ND SHIFT MON – FRI: 2:30PM – 11PM $10.50/hr 3rd SHIFT WED – SAT (SWING 10HRS) 7AM – 5:30PM $9.50/hr ** Clerical/Filing tests required **

TO APPLY:

1. Go to www.excelpersonnel.com 2. Complete the application including your job history 3. Once completed, call Excel Personnel at 303-427-4600 Honored to be in business in Colorado for over 20 years. Excel Personnel is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. M/F/D/V.

25-Color

Lone Tree Voice 25

December 19, 2013

REAL EST TE

Home for Sale

Advertise: 303-566-4100

OurColoradoClassifieds.com

CAREERS

Priority Plastics, Inc., a manufacturer of plastics products with five locations nationwide, is currently seeking a PLANT MANAGER at our Denver, CO plant. Our plastic blow molding manufacturing operation is a multi-shift operation with 100+ employees. As Plant Manager, the successful candidate will direct and manage all plant operations including Production, Packaging, Engineering, Quality, Inventory/Materials Management and HR staff to achieve plant objectives for profitable growth, efficiency, on-time delivery, quality and safety. Responsibilities: • Provide overall leadership for operating results and deliver continuous improvement in key areas of safety, cost, inventory management, quality and organizational capability. Maintain a culture of accountability across the organization for delivery of business objectives. • Drive continuous improvement in all aspects of the operation by using the full capability and creativity of the organization. • Facilitate coordination of all plant activities with managers/supervisors to ensure effective use of plant capacity, assets and staff. Responsible for employee staffing and team development, performance management, goal alignment, project execution and policy deployment. • Develop, manage and achieve plant budget targets and ensure strong financial controls are in place. Participate with senior management in financial and operational reviews. Take quick and appropriate corrective action where necessary to achieve budget and operational commitments. • Ensure full compliance with applicable regulatory laws, standards and company policy. • Create an effective plant leadership team and coach, mentor and develop direct reports to their full potential. Maintain a healthy, positive and energized work environment for all plant employees. Candidates should have a Bachelor degree in Engineering, Logistics, Supply Chain Management or a related field with 10 or more years of progressive leadership in a manufacturing environment, preferably in a plastic molding operation. Individuals should have a good business acumen and analytical mindset; able to comprehend financial models of the business and able to think and act strategically in the interests of the whole business. Individuals must have outstanding communication/teamwork/interpersonal skills at all levels of the organization, as well as, strong organization development/ coaching skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office is a must and fluency in English/ Spanish language, preferred. Please send resumes to: jobs@priorityplastics.com

The City of Black Hawk, two (2) vacancies for POLICE OFFICER I. Hiring Range: $53,959 - $62,052 DOQ/E. Unbelievable benefit package and exceptional opportunity to serve in Colorado’s premiere gaming community located 18 miles west of Golden. The City supports its employees and appreciates great service! If you are interested in serving a unique historical city and enjoy working with diverse populations visit the City’s website at www.cityofblackhawk.org/goto/employee_services for more information or to apply online for this limited opportunity. Requires High School Diploma or GED, valid Colorado driver’s license with a safe driving record, must be at least 21 years of age, and must be Colorado POST certified by date of hire. The City accepts online applications for Police Officer positions year round. Applications will remain active for one (1) year from the date of submission. EOE.

Medical Needed full time MA, LPN or RN in Ken Caryl area for busy pediatric office. Includes Saturday mornings Please fax resume to Nita 303-791-7756

Help Wanted

Part-time, flexible hours hours for homecare patient visits in Douglas and Elbert counties. Great pay and benefits. Call Barbara or Kay at 303-663-3663 to schedule an interview.

BARGAINS

Zero-down programs avail.

BANK FORECLOSURE & HUD PROPERTIES

* No Advertising Fees * Relocation Exposure * Realtors Show Home * Sign & Lockbox * No Upfront Fees

B E S T OF THE B E S T R E A L T O R S

Charles Realty

Cemetery Lots

Office Rent/Lease

City of Golden Cemetery Plot

VARIOUS OFFICES 100-2,311 sq.ft. Rents from $200-$1750/month. Full service. 405-409 S Wilcox

Beautiful single plot or 2 cremains Desirable location (sold out) IOOF Section. $1700. (970)224-0400.

Senior Housing

www.mustseeinfo.com or call Kevin 303-503-3619 HomeSmart Realty A 5280 Top REALTOR

BUSINESS FOR SALE

RN's,LPN's caring, compassionate, reliable/dependable nurses needed. PT/FT 12 hr. night shifts. in peaceful, loving home. North Parker. Call 303-646-3020

FULL SERVICE BROKERAGE OWNER 25 YEARS!

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, December 14th 11am - 3pm GrandView of Roxborough Luxury Senior Community in Littleton

Castle Rock

Wasson Properties 719-520-1730

Room for Rent

Vacation/Resort Rental Winter Park Condo

Lock in Pre-construction Pricing! Exclusive Opportunity to Own!

6265 Roxborough Park Rd

303-744-8000

Priced to sell Owners wishing to retire

Refreshments will be served. www.grandviewlife.com

190 seat capacity all FF&E+ food & liquor

We are community.

Deluxe vacation condo in Winter Park, CO: This third-floor end unit sleeps up to 8 with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, washer & dryer, newly furnished throughout with wireless Internet, cable TV and a DVD/VCR player. The living room has a stone fireplace and a skylight with fantastic views of the ski slopes and a private deck on the Fraser River. An indoor pool and hot tubs are located at the clubhouse. Request Hi Country Haus #2115 at 800-926-4386.

OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A CPA

Wanted:

29 Serious People to Work from Anywhere using a computer. Up to $1500 – $5K PT/FT

MORTGAGE LENDER — NO BROKER FEES FULL PRODUCT SET INCLUDING CONVENTIONAL, FHA, VA, REHAB, USDA, JUMBO AND CHAFA CUSTOMIZED LOANS BASED ON YOUR FAMILY’S FINANCIAL POSITION MULTIPLE GOLD STAR AWARDS BY BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OUR AVERAGE SALES VOLUME IS $4 BILLION DOLLARS!

SAVING YOU MONEY IS OUR “1” PRIORITY The Local Lender You Can “Trust” Randy Spierings CPA, MBA NMLS 217152 rspierings@primeres.com

Find your next job here. always online at OurColoradoCareers.com

Cal

Make

Tho

~C ~ Rep

Ali’

WHY US...? Full Time, 12 minutes West of Golden on I70. Must be qualified by current state regulation. Looking for team players, some benefits provided. Please call Monday-Friday 7am-6pm 303-674-9070 and ask for Martha

Exp

NOW IS THE TIME TO PURCHASE A HOME OR REFINANCE!

Help Wanted

G a

GOLDEN/APPLEWOOD www Clean, furn ranch, $310 w/ldy + $50 utilities NS/NP. ST/LT lease 303.279.5212 /847.763.1701

Excellent Location w/access to 6th Ave. Operating successfully for over 25 yrs

Reh

denveRRealestateChaRles@gmail.Com

Homes in all areas

Businesses for Sale/ Franchise

+2.8% MLS CO-OP

720-560-1999

Your Community Connector to Boundless Rewards

PT Educational Audiologist, grades PreK-12 in Bennett, Strasburg, Byers, Deer Trail & Kiowa area. CDE licensure required; CCC's or ABA certificate; knowledge of current technologies in Audiology including fm systems and cochlear implants preferred. Experience with children 0-21 years old. Please contact Tracy at East Central BOCES for more information tracyg@ecboces.org or 719-7752342 ext. 101.

**Applicants must be 21 or older**

Please Recycle this Publication when Finished

* Everything Included * Free Market Analysis * MLS Placement * PlacementonRealtor.com * Internet Exposure

www.tcglobal75.com

NOW HIRING DRIVERS

Lone Tree, CO; Thornton, CO Krispy Kreme is a great place to work. When you look at us, you see mouth-watering doughnuts. When we look at you, we see the future of our company. As one of the world’s most enduring brands, Krispy Kreme will help you realize your potential and build a career that is sweeter than you could ever imagine. Apply online at: www.pleaseapplyonline.com/wwd We look forward to meeting you!

OF PURCHASE PRICE

ATTENTION BUYERS! We have SPECIAL programs just for you! For more info call today!

Ruth - 303-667-0455 Brandon - 720-323-5839

SELL

BUY & RECEIVE 1% or

Contact: Dan Beaton RMR,Inc. (303)423-7750

Wobbler Toddler & Pre K Teacher needed

Physical Therapist and Registered Nurse

ATTENTION HOME OWNERS! Now is the BEST time to sell in years! Do you know how much more your home is worth? We do - and we're working with buyers in every price range& neighborhood!

Lakewood Family Restaurant and Bar

NOW HIRING POLICE OFFICERS

Help Wanted

Golden 2100 square foot home for sale Call Gene at (907)240-8084

Advertise: 303-566-4100

BBB Rating

A+

MULTIPLE GOLD STAR AWARDS

Call 303-256-5748 Now Or apply online at www.bestcoloradomortgages.com

9800 Mt. Pyramid Court, Ste. 400 • Englewood, CO 80112 * Only one offer per closing. Offer expires 1/1/14. A Best Buy gift card for $500 will be given after closing and can be used toward purchase of a 50 inch TV or any other Best Buy products. Program, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Regulated by the Division of Real Estate. MLO 100022405 DP-6995059

Resid • 15y • Deta Dep

Call

26-Color

26 Lone Tree Voice

December 19, 2013 Drywall

Garage Doors GreGor

Sanders Drywall Inc.

GaraGe Door

All phases to include

Acoustic scrape and re-texture Repairs to full basement finishes Water damage repairs Interior paint, door & trim installs

Advertise: 303-566-4100

Adult Care

Owner Operated

Service & Repair

Springs, Cables, Openers, etc…

30+ years experience Insured Free estimates

Deck/Patio

10% Off with thiS ad

Darrell 303-915-0739

Call or text anytime

303-716-0643

Electricians FREE Estimates

Dedicated to Life and Living Rehabilitation experts providing opportunities that lead to independence 1297 S. Perry St. Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 303-688-2500 telephone 303-688-2600 fax

Goodmans appliance RepaiR

As You Like It Cleaning Service • Residential / Commercial • • Quality Service • • Bonded/References •

$25 Off Any Repair

Call or Text 303-828-6111

“Your Priority List, Not Ours”

www.GoodmansAppliance.com

Blinds Cleaning

blind repair

Make BLIND

FIX a part of your team

Fast • Friendly • Reliable

We are a Family owned and operated. 15 years in the industry •Repairs made within 3 days•

303-564-4809 jquintana_77@hotmail.com

Carpet/Flooring

Thomas Floor Covering

~ Carpet Restretching ~ Repair ~ Remnant Installs

A continental flair

Detailed cleaning at reasonable rates.

Honest & Dependable

Residential • Commercial Move Outs • New Construction References Available

720.283.2155

Just Details Cleaning Service

When “OK” Just isn’t good enough -Integrity & Quality Since 1984 For more information visit: JustDetailsCleaningService.com Call Rudy 303-549-7944 for free est.

303-781-4919

Concrete/Paving

Call Ali @ 720-300-6731

• DepenDable • • Thorough • • honesT •

Fence Services

FREE ESTIMATES

ESIGNS, INC

“Specializing in Composite Redwood and Cedar Construction for Over 30 Years”

Ron Massa

Solving All your Remodeling & Repair Problems – Just Ask!

DepenDable, Reliable SeRvice Over 30 Years Experience Licensed & Insured

Eric DeSpain 303-840-1874

HOME REPAIRS & REMODELING • Drywall • Painting • Tile • Trim • Doors • Painting • Decks • Bath Remodel • Kitchen Remodels • Basements & Much More! Call Today for a FREE ESTIMATE

303-427-2955

HOME REPAIRS INSIDE: *Bath *Kitchen's *Plumbing *Electrical, *Drywall *Paint *Tile & Windows OUTSIDE: *Paint & Repairs *Gutters *Deck's *Fence's *Yard Work *Tree & Shrubbery trimming & clean up Affordable Hauling Call Rick 720-285-0186

PAUL TIMM Construction/Repair Drywall Serving Your Area Since 1974

Cowboy Fencing is a full service fence & gate company installing fences in Colorado for 23 years. Residential/Commercial/ Farm & Ranch Fencing Low rates, Free estimates

Drywall Finishing Mike Martis, Owner Patches • Repairs • Texturing Basements • Additions • Remodels We Accept • Painting & Wallpaper Removal All Major (303)988-1709 cell (720)373-1696 Credit Cards www.123drywall.com

A PATCH TO MATCH Drywall Repair Specialist

• Home Renovation and Remodel • 30 years Experience • Insured • Satisfaction Guaranteed

• Specializing removal of popcorn ceilings & patches • No job is too big or too small • Personal attention & quality workmanship

720-331-0314

A+

HIGHLANDS HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC.

General Repair & Remodel “We Also Specialize in Electrical Projects” Licensed/Insured/Guaranteed

303-791-4000

Scott, Owner - 720-364-5270

303-841-3087 303-898-9868

S&E D r y w a l l I n c .

UTDOOR

’s DeSpain Home SolutionS

FREE Estimates

Drywall

Owner

Deck/Patio

303-791-4000

30+ years experience Clem: 303-973-6991

Shawn EvanS

Residential and Commercial Cleaning • 15yrsexperience •WindowCleaning • Detailed,Honest, •Insured&Bonded Dependable •GreatCustomerService

Free Estimates • Reliable Licensed • Bonded Insured • Senior Discount

No Service in Parker or Castle Rock

General Repair & Remodel Paul Boggs Master Electrician Licensed/Insured/Guaranteed

BEST PRICES

Call Ed 720-328-5039

Ali’s Cleaning Services

Carpentry • Painting Tile • Drywall • Roof Repairs Plumbing • Electrical Kitchen • Basements Bath Remodels Property Building Maintenance

A+

25 yrs experience Remodel expert, kitchen, basements, & service panel upgrades. No job too small. Senior disc. 720-690-7645

Highly rated & screened contractor by Home Advisor & Angies list

Cleaning

HANDYMAN

Office 303-642-3548 Cell 720-363-5983

Handyman

Affordable Electrician

35 Years Experience

In home carpet & vinyl sales

Residential & Commercial

720-635-0418 www.decksunlimited.com

Cleaning

AFFORDABLE

HIGHLANDS HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC.

Littleton

Appliance Repair

Expert Appliance Repair

Denver’s Premier Custom Deck Builder

Handyman

D & D FENCING

Bronco

HAULERS !

INSURED

JIM 303.818.6319

“HONEY-DO’S DONE… THAT YOUR HONEY DON’T DO.” — SMALL JOBS INSIDE AND OUT —

www.mikesgaragedoors.com

Serving Douglas County for 30 Years

Call Ray Worley CALL 303-995-4810

303-471-2323

Local Focus. More News. 23 newspapers & websites. Connecting YOU to your LOCAL community.

ColoradoCommunityMedia.com 303-566-4100

Licensed & Insured

Licensed & Insured 303-688-5021 www.oakvalleyconstruction.com

12 years experience. Great References

FREE ESTIMATES

Call 720-257-1996 Instant Trash Hauling

H Bathroom H Basements Construction H Kitchens Serving Douglas H Drywall County for 30 years BASEMENTS H | BATHROOMS Decks| KITCHENS

• Decks • Fences • Stairs • Overhangs •

• Dependable • Affordable • • Prompt Service 7 days a week • • Foreclosure and Rental clean-outs • • Garage clean-outs • • Furniture • • Appliances •

trash hauling

Handyman Oak Valley

(303) 646-4499

• Dust Contained Sanding • New or Old Wood • Hardwood Installation

Hauling Service

Garage Doors

• Springs, Repairs • New Doors and Openers • Barn and Arena Doors • Locally-Owned & Operated • Tom Martino’s Referral List 10 Yrs • BBB Gold Star Member Since 2002

independent Hardwood Floor Co, LLC insured/FRee estimates Brian 303-907-1737

Commercial & Residential All types of cedar, chain link, iron, and vinyl fences. Install and repair. Serving all areas. Low Prices. FREE Estimates. 720-434-7822 or 303-296-0303

For all your garage door needs!

Hardwood Floors

• Home • Business • Junk & Debris • Furniture • Appliances • Tree Limbs • Moving Trash • Carpet • Garage Clean Out

Dirt, Rock, Concrete, Sod & Asphalt

Free estimates 7 days a Week

Call Bernie 303.347.2303

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Lone Tree Voice 27

December 19, 2013

Advertise: 303-566-4100

Home Improvement For ALL your Remodeling & Repair Needs

A+

HIGHLANDS HOME IMPROVEMENT, INC. General Repair, Remodel, Electrical, Plumbing, Custom Kitchen & Bath, Tile Installation & Basement Finish

Licensed/Insured

FREE Estimates

303-791-4000

Painting

Plumbing

BB PAINTING Interior and Exterior

Interior Winter Specials

Small jobs or large Customer satisfaction #1 priority Call Bert for FREE ESTIMATE

303-905-0422

Mike’s Painting & Decorating

PLUMBING

15% OFF FALL SAVINGS FREE INSTANT QUOTE Repair or Replace: Faucets, Toilets, Sinks, Disposals, Water Heaters, Gas Lines, Broken Pipes, Spigots/Hosebibs, Water Pressure Regulator, Ice Maker, Drain Cleaning, Dishwasher Instl., Vanity Instl., Etc. CALL WEST TECH (720)298-0880

RALPH’S & JOE’S AFFORDABLE

• Interior/Exterior • 35 years experience in your area • A-Rating with BBB • Fully Insured • I do the work myself • No job to small

Kitchen Your

Dream Kitchen now

Floor to ceiling – Start to finish

“We do it all”

• Design • Cabinets • Fixtures • Installation Free estimates

303-933-0820

russrenovations.com russrenovations.com

Landscaping/Nurseries Mountain HigH Landscape, irrigation, and Lawncare

Family Owned and Operated We are a full service design, installation and maintenance company.

Call Don

303-915-6973

donlease@mtnhighlandscaping.com

Fall Cleanup – Sprinkler Winterization aeration/poWer rake – Sprinkler DeSign inStallation anD repairS – laWnCare tree anD Shrub Care – WeeDControl

Lawn/Garden Services

PROFESSIONAL OUTDOOR SERVICES TREES/ SHRUBS TRIMMED Planted, Trimmed & Removal • Sod Work • Rock & Block Walls • Sprinklers • Aeration • Stumps Ground • Mulch

Licensed / Insured

DICK 303-783-9000 Painting

Paint or Fix Up Now $500 OFF - Complete Interior or Exterior

Expert Painting - Family Business

- Low Holiday Prices Handyman or Remodel Free Estimates ImaginePainting.net

(303) 249-8221

303-797-6031

Perez Painting Interior and exterior painting, wall repair, refinishing and texturizing, deck repair and epoxi floors. Finish and Plaster Designs. Insured References Available

720- 298-3496

We will match any written estimate! Same day service! No job too small or too big!

303-960-7665

Insured & Bonded

Family Owned & Operated. Low Rates.

Remodeling

PENA’S REMODELING

NEW SIDING AND REPAIR WINDOW/DOOR INSTALLATION DEMOLITION HANDYMAN SERVICES DOING OUR BEST, FOR YOUR HOME

720-390-6144 Roofing/Gutters

Local ads, coupons, special offers & more

Plumbing

Anchor Plumbing Residential:

• Hot Water Heat • Forced Air • Water Heaters • Kitchens • Baths • Service Repair • Sprinkler Repair •

(303) 961-3485 Licenced & Insured

Bryon Johnson

Master Plumber • All plumbing repairs & replacement • Bathroom remodels • Gas pipe installation • Sprinkler repair

All Types of Roofing New Roofs, Reroofs, Repairs & Roof Certifications Aluminum Seamless Gutters Family owned/operated since 1980 Call Today for a FREE Estimate • Senior Discounts

(303) 234-1539

www.AnyWeatherRoofing.com • Sales@AnyWEatherRoofing.com

Tile

Thomas Floor Covering

~ All Types of Tile ~ Ceramic - Granite ~ Porcelain - Natural Stone ~ Vinyl

Before you shop, visit ShopLocalColorado.com for the best local deals and services.

26 Years Experience •Work Warranty

FREE Estimates

303-781-4919

~ Licensed & Insured ~

303.979.0105 Plumb-Crazy, LLC. “We’re Crazy About Plumbing”

• Honest pricing • • Free estimates •

Your experienced Plumbers.

ShopLocalColorado.com

CUSTOM HOMES REMODEL FINISHED BASEMENTS SERVICE AND REPAIR Licensed • Insured ALAN ATTWOOD, Master Plumber

PH: 303-472-8217 FX: 303-688-8821

Tree Service

ABE’S TREE & SHRUB CARE Abraham Spilsbury Owner/Operator

• Pruning • Removals • Shrub Maintenance • FreeEstimates Certified Arborist,Insured, Littleton Resident 720.283.8226 C:720.979.3888

To get your business listed on ShopLocalColorado.com contact us today at 303-566-4074.

Scan to like CCM on Facebook 23 community papers & 20 websites reaching over 400,000 readers.

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December 19, 2013

clubs in your community Editor’s note: To add or update your club listing, e-mail calendar@ourcoloradonews.com, Attn: Voice.

Ronald Conley at 303-841-1860 or e-mail www.professionalreferralnetwork.org.

Political

Recreation

Douglas County Democrats executive committee meets at 7 p.m. every first Tuesday at various sites. Contact Ralph Jollensten at 303-663-1286 or e-mail ralphw@comcast.net. Social discussion meetings are in Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock and Parker-Lone Tree. Visit douglasdemocrats.org and click on calendar for more information.

Lone Tree Ladies 9-Hole Golf. Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Thursday morning 9-hole golf group. Applications are available in the Lone Tree Pro Shop or visit http:// LTL9Hole.ghinclub.com

Douglas County Republican Women meet at 11 a.m. the third Wednesday each month at the Lone Tree Golf and Hotel. Call Tanne Aspromonte at 303-840-2764 or visit www.dcgop.org. Lone Tree Democrats meet the second Tuesday each month at the Lone Tree Civic Center. Call Gordon at 303-790-8264. Professional Arapahoe Sales Professionals USA meets Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. at Country Buffet, 7475 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree. Call Randy Anderson at 303-875-7673 for information. BNI Connections of Lone Tree (www.thebniconnections.

com) invites business owners to attend its meeting held each Tuesday, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Lone Tree Recreation Center, 10249 Ridgegate Circle. There is no charge to attend a meeting as a guest. Please visit www.thebniconnections.com or contact Chris Kaiser at ckaiser@c2cc.net or 303-933-1113 for more information.

Littleton LETIP meets from 7:16-8:31 a.m. every Tuesday

for breakfast at Luciles, 2852 W. Bowles Ave., to exchange qualified business leads. Call Bob Hier at 303-660-6426 or e-mail hierb@yahoo.com.

Lone Tree Networking Professionals is a networking/

leads group that meets Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. at Rio Grande Restaurant in Lone Tree. Exclusive business categories are open. Visitors and new members are welcome. Contact Don Shenk at 303-746-0093.

Professional Referral Network meets at 7:15 a.m. Tuesdays at Great Beginnings, east of I-25 at Lincoln Avenue. Call

Highlands Ranch Rotary Club meets from 12:10-1:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Lone Tree Golf Club, 9808 Sunningdale Blvd. Each lunch features a speaker. The Rotary is a networking, service and social club. Contact Joe Roos at 720-648-5558 or visit highlandsranchrotary.org. Living and Aging Well in Lone Tree, a speaker series lun-

cheon, meets at 11:30 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Lone Tree Golf Club and Hotel. Lunch reservations are required prior to the event and cost $10 per person, which includes a beverage, lunch, dessert and tip. For information on the topic and to RSVP, visit www.cityoflonetree.com/agingwell.

Social A Dreampower Animal Rescue / PAALS adoption for cats,

dogs and more meets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Park Meadows PetsMart. Call 303-688-9503.

Castle Rock Bridge Club plays a friendly ACBL-sanctioned

duplicate game at 1 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday. For more information, a schedule of games and lessons, or directions to the Lowell Ranch 4H location at 2330 South I-25 East Frontage Road, go the website at castlerockbridge.com. For assistance in finding a bridge partner, call Georgiana Butler at 303-810-8504. Visit www.castlerockbridge.com.

DTC Kiwanis Club meets at 7 a.m. every Tuesday at Mimi’s Cafe, 9555 Park Meadows Drive, at the corner of Yosemite and Park Meadows. We are a growing club with 51 members. Our mission is assisting communities and “at risk” children in difficult home environments with financial and personal help and mentoring. Call Frank Zieg at 303-796-1213. Fibromyalgia Women’s Group for women wanting to get together to talk about positive things that have helped them and to make new friends. No fee; must live near Parker/ Centennial. Time and day to be figured out by group. Call Leslie at 303-791-8814. Great Books Discussion Group meets on the first Thursday night of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lone Tree Library. Reading selections are short—plays, short stories, essays, or excerpts from longer works—and new members can come in at any time. We also watch Teaching Company lectures on “The Art of Reading.” Call Kerri Martin at 303-688-7628 or David Williams at 303-708-8854.

Lone Tree Optimists meets from noon to 1:15 p.m. Tuesdays at LePeep Restaurant, 7156 E. County Line Road. Call Miles Hardee at 303-973-6409. National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Columbine Chapter, meets at 1 p.m. the second Saturday of each month from September through May at the Denver South Metro Chamber of Commerce in the Streets of Southglenn. Contact Krispin at Krispin_L_Andersen@Q.com or Merry Snyder at mcs.dar88@comcast.net. Original Ports of Call Singles Club for ages 55 and older is a great way to meet new friends and get out among others in your situation! We call our selves a” Circle of Friends. We have a variety of interests, cards, theater, tours, dinners, lunches, golf , bowling and dances etc. It meets every second Monday at Sr. Ric on Miss. from 4-6 p.m. in Aurora. Call JoAnn at 303-751-5195 or just come. It meets every fourth Tuesday at Chads South of Sixth Avenue in Lakewood form 4-6 p.m. Call Mary Riney at 303-9858937. The third Wednesday at the Three Margaritas at 5130 S Wadsworth Blvd from 5-7 p.m. Call Jean Fox 303-730-2804. Teen Library Council. Douglas County Libraries’ teen groups meet monthly to help plan events, weigh in on library materials and serve the library community. Members earn community service hours toward graduation requirements. For information about a group at a library in your area, call 303-791-7323 or visit with a youth librarian. The Writing School presents “Shop Talk,” a free Sunday afternoon gathering for writers of all genres and skill levels,

where they can talk about their work and brainstorm with other writers. 1:30-3:30 pm Lone Tree Civic Center, 8527 Lone Tree Parkway, just west of the Lone Tree Library. sviders@ thewritingschool.org

Widowed Men and Women of America Link 8 Social Hour meets every Tuesday for a Social Hour at Las Brisas Restaurant at 6787 S. Clinton St. Greenwood Village at 5 p.m. Any questions contact Kathy at 303 779-7970. Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild meets from 9:30-11 a.m. Tuesdays at Southeast Christian Church, 9650 Jordan Road in Parker. The group has a guest speaker from 7-9 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 8374 S. Willow St. in Lone Tree. Visit www.wordsforthejourney. org then go to the Rocky Mountain Region link for more information. Support Douglas County Association for Gifted and Talented. DCAGT aims to provide education, advocacy, and a community for families with gifted children in Douglas County. DCAGT welcomes families with kids in preschool through high school and in public, private, charter, and home school. Free evening parent meetings on various topics are held every few months at locations throughout Douglas County. To join or for more information, e-mail information@dcagt.org or go to www.dcagt.org or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/douglascounty. gifted KIDS, Kids In Divorce Survival, group meets to address the challenges and difficulties faced by divorcing families. A five week session, KIDS learn coping skills to help them through these trying times. Intake and registration required. There is a fee for participation. For details call 720-987-5129 or e-mail heatherguthrielcsw@gmail.com Learning English? Douglas County Libraries offers Saturday morning practice sessions at which those learning English can engage in casual conversation with others. DCL also offers ESL Book Clubs, where English learners can read and discuss specific books. Both meetings are facilitated by trained volunteers. For dates, times and locations, call 303-791-7323.

Four Easy Steps to a Healthier New Year Here are four simple steps to help you make healthy decisions every day next year. • Attitude – Think and talk positively can improve your outlook and increase happiness • Move – Walk every day, inside or outside • Water – Drink eight glasses of water daily for more energy and healthier muscles, kidneys and skin • Colors – Add two colors (green, red, yellow, orange or purple) out of the fruits and vegetables to balance a meal of protein and whole grains We are here when you need help with allergies, asthma, cardiology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, sleep and behavioral health issues.

Call for an appointment at 303.703.3646.

For 114 years, National Jewish Health has been the leading respiratory hospital in the nation.

Highlands Ranch

Respiratory | Allergy | Immune System | Cardiology 8671 South Quebec St., Suite 120 Highlands Ranch, CO 80130

njhealth.org/HRanch

303.703.3646