News June 2016
Celebrating 35 years!
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Get Wet – Have Fun – Swim HRCA
July 4th Parade - Town Center
For the past 35 years HRCA Learn to Swim has introduced thousands of children to safe aquatic fun. Why Choose to Learn to Swim at HRCA? • Over 90% of past participants would recommend our program. • Classes are small and up to 45 minutes in length (4-6 children per class). • Nationally Certified Instructors provide a comprehensive program for all age and skill levels. • Everyone has fun while learning lifesaving skills. Swim Lessons Are a Life or Death Decision • The CDC ranks drowning as the leading cause of preventable death for children under the age of five. Don’t Forget About Private Lessons • Thirty minutes of individual instruction may fit your needs. • Are you a competitive swimmer and want to gain an edge? How Do I Learn More and Sign-Up? • Learn more and register today online at www.HRCAonline.org/Swim. You may also call 303-471-8935 or email diane.ball@hrcaonline.org. (For more water fun see page 6)
Tennis Looking to move your workout outdoors this summer? Then the sport of tennis is for you and your entire family! It doesn’t matter if you’ve never stepped on a court or aren’t in the best shape of your life – the time is right to pick up a racquet this summer! Simply put, tennis comprises the ultimate full-body workout! Tennis involves constant movement, changes of direction, and fast movements from a standing start. Add in the fact that leg, arm, shoulder, core, and back muscles are all worked and you have the complete package! Wondering how and where to get started? That’s easy! Start right in your own backyard, with the award winning HRCA Tennis Program! HRCA offers programming on its six indoor courts and 13 lit outdoor courts conveniently located at Northridge, Southridge, and Westridge. In fact, HRCA’s tennis program was ranked second in the state last year for number of adult and youth players. HRCA has also been recognized with the E.L. Griffey Award for Organization of the Year, and the Clyde Rodgers Award for Service to recreational players. With classes for all ages, (continued on page 6)
8:00 a.m. - Independence Day 5K Race 8:45 a.m. - Family Bike and Pet Parade 9:00 a.m. - July 4th Parade starts
July 4th celebration New Location! Due to the development of the previous launch site for the fireworks in Town Center, the July 4th Celebration will be moving the fireworks and celebration to Highland Heritage Regional Park. The Celebration will start at 4:00 p.m. concluding with the fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Live music, games, food trucks, beer and the Hot Dog Eating Contest will all return to this festival. For more information visit www.HRCAonline.org/July4.
Parade Call for Entries July 4th Parade Participate in the HRCA July 4th Parade to show your community pride. Showcase your sub association, business, school, band, or organization. Parade entry forms must be submitted by June 6. In the afternoon, host a booth at the celebration. Get your business seen by thousands! For details and forms visit www.HRCAonline.org/Vendors.
Jerry Flannery CEO and General Manager HRCA|news is published monthly by the Highlands Ranch Community Association, Inc.
HRCA|Event/Weather Line 303-471-8888
I hope this letter finds you and your family in good health and spirits as we head into another fun-filled June and summer time! School is out, graduations are done, and vacations are coming up for many of us, so make sure you have your mail and papers held to discourage the possibility of theft. It always pays to be safe, so keep an eye out for your neighbors too!
Events: Summer is our most active season, and we will start it with a bang by hosting
Board of Directors 303-471-8958 Scott Lemmon Brock Norris Melissa Park Jeff Suntken Dennis Seymour
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES at Eastridge 303-791-8958
our 4th Annual Beer Festival! This event is growing every year, and we are excited that we will have at least 78 breweries represented this year! Please look at our summer guide, this newsletter, and web site calendar to choose what events you would like to attend!
Vaccinations: Spring and summer are active times for wildlife. Recently, Douglas County released a warning for rabies among the skunk population. This serves as a good reminder that your pets need to have their latest host of shots to keep them and the public safe! Here’s a link to the County press release: http://www.douglas.co.us/ skunks-rabies-pose-threat-people-pets-livestock/.
9568 University Blvd. M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Summer Maintenance: We always want to provide our residents with friendly
RECREATION CENTERS
reminders that this time of year brings tremendous beauty to our neighborhoods but it also brings with it weeds and critters of all shapes and sizes. Please take a moment and check your property for these types of invasive flora and fauna to avoid costly repairs later in the season.
303-791-2500 Recreation Center at Northridge 8801 Broadway M-Th: 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. F: 5:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sa. & Su: 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Recreation Center at Eastridge 9568 University Blvd. M-F: 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Su: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Recreation Center at Westridge 9650 Foothills Canyon Blvd. M-F: 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Su: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Recreation Center at Southridge 4800 McArthur Ranch Rd.
Volunteer of the Month, Charity Alexander: Charity has been helping with Therapeutic Recreation (TR) Splash Swim for the past year. Charity says “I’m amazed when a child starts off afraid to put their face in the water and soon is swimming halfway across the pool with no help!” Charity is a TR parent with her son Calvin participating in our TR Tae Kwon Do class. Calvin just tested and received his high brown belt, a great accomplishment. Charity also volunteers at the TR Garage Sale Fundraiser, Oktoberfest, and Special Needs Tae Kwon Do. In her free time, she is active with the Highlands Ranch Race Series and enjoys training for triathlons and traveling with her husband, Jeff, and son Calvin.
Elections and voting: If you are among the nearly 60,000 registered, but unaffiliated voters in Douglas County, and intend to vote in the June 28 primary election, Colorado election law requires your affiliation with a political party. Visit DouglasVotes.com where you may register to vote, achieve party affiliation, check voter registration status, change your mailing address, and more.
M-F: 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Sa: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Su: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Copyright ©2016 Highlands Ranch Community Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is required to redistribute, reproduce, modify or republish information from Highlands Ranch Community Association, Inc, in print or electronically.
2 | June 2016
quarterly assessments The 2nd Quarter 2016 Assessments were due on April 1, 2016. Please help HRCA save costs and the environment by signing up for E-Statements. Just visit www.HRCAonline.org/PaperlessOptions.
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Community Improvement Services Covenant Control We are often asked, “How are the covenants in Highlands Ranch enforced?” and “Why does it take so long to gain compliance in some cases?” The covenants in Highlands Ranch are enforced using procedures established by the Board of Directors as authorized by the Community Declaration for Highlands Ranch. These procedures are designed to ensure each out-of-compliance owner receives due process before any penalty is imposed. Ensuring due process involves many steps which is the reason it takes time to gain compliance. An enforcement action is initiated either by a Highlands Ranch home owner complaint, or by the HRCA Community Improvement Services staff’s neighborhood survey. When a home owner’s complaint is received, a staff member visually inspects the property to determine whether the complaint is a violation of the covenants. When there is a violation, the HRCA sends a letter to the property owner requesting the violation be cured by a specific date. Each year the HRCA sends out thousands of letters for various covenant violations and most home owners cure their violations promptly after receiving their first notice. Following the specified cure date, the property is inspected to determine if it has been brought into compliance. If it has not, a second violation letter with a new cure deadline is sent to the owner. The property is then re-inspected, and if the property remains in noncompliance, staff files a complaint with the Board of Directors and a copy is mailed to the owner with a notice that the owner has the right to a hearing before a Tribunal appointed by the Board. The hearing provides the owner an opportunity to present a defense to the Tribunal. The Tribunal then gives their recommendation to the Board. The recommendation includes whether or not the covenants have been violated and what, if any, sanctions should be imposed against the violating owner. The Board may adopt the recommendation of the Tribunal, decline an enforcement action or waiver even where a violation exists if doing so is in the best interest of the community. The Board sanctions may be to impose daily fines, deny recreation privileges, put liens on properties, and/or potential legal action through the Douglas County Courts to further enforce compliance; the property owner is subject to pay any associated legal cost.
Therapeutic Recreation iCan Bike Camp Volunteers needed HRCA’s Therapeutic Recreation program partners with the national nonprofit organization iCan Bike to host a bike camp for special needs children. Each camper needs the support of several volunteers to “lose the training wheels.” This year’s camp is June 13 - 17 at Eastridge. Interested in being a volunteer to work with a participant at our iCan Bike camp? Our goal is for every child to get the chance to experience our beautiful Colorado on a twowheeler. Volunteers must be: • at least 16 years old • able to walk/lightly jog for 75 minutes with short breaks • attend a one-hour orientation and ‘spotter’ training session the Sunday before the program starts • able to attend a 15 minute spotter meeting immediately followed by a 75-minute session (of the volunteer’s choice) each of the five days of the program (Monday through Friday) If you meet the above criteria, we would love to have your help. Please call 303-471-7043 or email summer.aden@hrcaonline.org. Volunteer applications are online at www.HRCAonline.org/TR.
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Art Encounters Returns The Highlands Ranch Cultural Affairs Association is excited to participate in the 9th annual Douglas County Art Encounters program. Art Encounters is a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibit designed to promote public interest in art. From June 2016 to June 2017, 26 new sculptures in jurisdictions will be on display. Seven of these will be exhibited in Highlands Ranch. All pieces are available for purchase. The public is encouraged to visit each piece of art and vote on their favorite. Visit www.HRCAonline.org/CAA for more information and locations of the new pieces and to vote. Below are Highlands Ranch’s 2016 art pieces.
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HRCA Receives Aquatic Gold Safety Award The Highlands Ranch Community Association is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious “2015 Gold International Aquatic Safety Award (IASA)” by Jeff Ellis & Associates, Inc. Earning this award demonstrates the aquatic facilities operates consistently exceeding industry standards in risk management and epitomize aquatic safety excellence. IASAs are awarded to deserving aquatic facilities by Jeff Ellis & Associates, Inc. - International Aquatic Safety and Risk Management Consultants.
Gold Audit Award Criteria: • All audit scores exceed industry standards and meet or exceed the rigorous proactive standards of the Comprehensive Aquatic Risk Management Program. • Over 80% of all lifeguard observations, supervisor observations, and VAT® observations exceeded Ellis’s program standards. These awards are presented annually and are based on the results of multiple random unannounced aquatic facility operational safety audits throughout the year. Including undercover video surveillance of lifeguards while they protect their areas. Additionally, individual and team basic life support and rescue skills are evaluated. The audit concludes with administrative, supervisory and facility evaluations. “It is apparent that the entire staff embodies the idea of setting the standard in aquatic safety, and swimmers who frequent these aquatic facilities are afforded the highest degree of swimmer protection currently available for the aquatic industry,” said Richard A. Carroll, Jeff Ellis & Associates, Inc. Senior Vice President and COO.
Eastridge
Town Center South
Pool Safety: Keeping Your Kids Safe This Summer Know Your Child’s Limitations If needed, wear an approved personal flotation device. The HRCA offers Coast Guard approved Type II Life jackets available for check-out when visiting any of our pools.
Always keep your child at arm’s reach This is the greatest level of protection and also an opportunity to enjoy fun quality time with your child. Civic Green Park
Southridge
Set Boundaries Know where your child is at all times and let your child know what is “off-limits.” Using these simple tips can assist the lifeguards in keeping the pools safe for everyone.
HRCA Outdoor Pools are Open Check the web site for scheduled pool closures.
Summer Pool Hours Northridge Monday - Friday Library
Civic Green Park
4 | June 2016
Town Center North
Saturday & Sunday Southridge Monday - Friday Saturday & Sunday Eastridge Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday & Sunday Westridge Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday & Sunday
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 6:00 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. 10:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. 10:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m.
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Upcoming events
Summer Concert Series This free festive family concert series features the best of local bands. Bring the family and enjoy the music at Highland Heritage Regional Park, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Please leave dogs at home. New for 2016 - Food Truck Row! Enjoy dinner from a selection of food trucks each week. June band schedule (See the web site for the complete summer schedule.) June 9: That Eighties Band (80s) June 23: Mostly Harmless (Rock N Roll) June 16: Parkside (Violin Rock) June 30: Tuxedo Junction (Big Band/Frank Sinatra)
Highlands Ranch Classic Car Show Cars, trucks, and motorcycles of all vintages, makes, and models converge in Highlands Ranch for the 16th annual Classic Car Show. Enjoy a plethora of classic and new cars, music, food, and fun. Admission is free. The vendor cost to enter a car is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show. We are still accepting vehicle applications. The first 125 entries receive a commemorative dash plaque and goodie bag. Forms are available at any HRCA recreation center or at www.HRCAonline.org/Vendors. Saturday, June, 18 • 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. • Cherry Hills Community Church • Free • $20-$25 to register a vehicle
Call for Entries - Touch-A-tRUCK Do you have a vehicle you’d like to show in the 5th annual Touch-a-Truck? It’s FREE! Kids are invited to touch, climb on, hop in, and experience what big trucks and other commercial vehicles are really like. Fill out an application and submit by July 17. For more information or to download an application, visit www.HRCAonline.org/Vendors. If you have questions, call 303-471-8854.
Culture on the Green This free series combines cultural performances with a beautiful outdoor setting for an experience that will entertain the entire family in a unique, culturally rich performance. The Mudra Dance Studio will bring a true Indian experience with Bollywood dancing, drums, and song. Bring a blanket and a picnic dinner for a great free summer evening. No dogs please. Fridays.• 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. • Civic Green Park • June 2 – Mudra Dance Studio • July 29 – Denver and District Pipe Band featuring Scottish bagpipes and dancing
Farmers’ & Street Markets HRCA partners with the Metro Denver Farmers’ Market to bring one of the finest farmers’ and street markets into Highlands Ranch. Early on, the market offers flowers and non-produce products. As summer progresses, the market explodes with Colorado’s bounty. • Sundays, May 8 - October 30 • 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. • Town Center South
Oaked & Smoked Tickets for the 2nd annual Oaked & Smoked American Whiskey and BBQ event on Saturday, July 16 are on sale now and are moving FAST! Visit the web site at www.HRCAonline.org/Events to get your tickets before they sell out. $50 VIP in advance, $60 day of if not sold out. $40 General Admission in advance, $50 day of if not sold out.
Upcoming events JUly 3-31 4 7-28 16 22 23 25 29
Farmers’ & Street Market (Sundays only) Parade & Celebration Summer Concert Series (Thursdays only) Oaked & Smoked Backcountry Elk Banquet Touch-a-Truck Pottery Sale Culture on the Green
Please check the web site for the most current event information.
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Stay Cool and Explore Water This Summer HRCA offers many exciting water programs for all ages. Here is a sample of programs to try this summer. Want to learn more and sign-up? Visit www.HRCAonline.org/ Swim call 303-471-8935 or diane. ball@hrcaonline.org. Don’t wait, summer classes fill very quickly.
Youth, ages 8-17, will explore Chatfield Lake on a Standup Paddle Board (SUP). Campers will learn water ecology, boating and paddling skills at this week long camp. Team building and leadership skills are also developed through on-water games and challenges. All safety gear and equipment is provided. There are adult SUP classes also available this summer at Chatfield.
Springboard Diving HRCA’s program run by Mile High Dive Club (MHDC), Colorado’s top ranked Olympic style diving club. HRCA and MHDC have teamed up to offer training for ages 6 and older for most skill levels. Divers will learn how to do tuck dives and somersaults in the four diving directions; front, back, reverse, and inward as well as the correct technique to enter the air and water to maximize scores and avoid injury.
Snorkel & Scuba Learn the proper techniques involved both on the surface and underwater with your certified PADI instructor. It’s fun and easy and will make your vacation a more pleasurable and rewarding experience. Ready for the next step? Sign-up for an introduction to scuba diving. All equipment is provided to learn the basic skills in the pool before seeking an open water certification.
6 | June 2016
Get Tennis
Classes, camps & activities (continued from page 1)
HRCA’s award winning teaching professionals lead students on their learning path from beginner lessons through advanced drill and youth preparation for competition. Unlike other sports with age limits for participation, all ages can enjoy tennis. Older players can take advantage of a low impact sport that keeps their body and mind active, while young players can get fit without worrying about high impact collisions. It doesn’t matter if you are male or female, 6 years old or 86 years old, indoors or outdoors, tennis is a sport for everyone and can be enjoyed for a lifetime! So “Get Serving” this summer!
Summer Adult Sports Leagues Dust off your cross-training shoes and bring your competitive spirit! HRCA Sports offers multiple Adult Leagues for basketball, soccer, volleyball and racquetball. Register as a team or get your name added to the free agent list to be contacted by teams in need of players. For more information or to register call 303-471-8869 or email cmaes@hrcaonline.org.
New! Sizzling Summer Fitness HRCA Fitness has added new classes and formats to our summer schedule to keep you on track to accomplish your fitness goals. We are offering a new Morning Meditation class early on Friday mornings at Southridge. For those that love to dance and take the “work” out of workout, we are now hosting, for the first time ever, Zumba at Westridge during the lunch hour! Bring the kids for a dip in the pool and have a fitness dance party! Also, we have added a new Pilates Tibata class as well as an Aqua Intensity class on Wednesday mornings at Westridge. Lastly, we are thrilled to offer Barre Sculpt for the first time at Eastridge on Friday mornings! For more information, please call 303-471-8916.
Independence Day 5K What better way to kick-off your Independence Day celebration than running or walking a fun and fast 5K! Join us at Town Center on July 4 for this annual Highlands Ranch tradition. A red, white and blue kettlebell will be hidden on course worth $100 cash to whoever finds it! Post-race party will follow with a pancake breakfast available for all participants, fun for the kids, and a celebratory beer for our 21 and older participants. IDs will be checked. After the race festivities are over, head over to watch the annual Highlands Ranch Community Association’s July 4th Community Parade! For more information or to register visit: www.HRraceseries.com.
Art Smarts! Youth or adult, we offer a variety of art classes that not only stimulate the creative side, but help support learning and brain function. It’s a widely discussed notion, that involvement in the arts supports success in school, work and life pursuits. It is an important expression, helps individuals learn about themselves and others and supports a deeper understanding in a variety of subjects such as math, science and social studies. This month, we encourage you and your children to try something new or make the time to nurture an already developing skill. Adult: Beginning Drawing, Beginning Painting, Fit and Fabulous Dinners, Beginning and Advanced Wheel Pottery. Ages 5-11: Minecraft Art, Cartooning, Movie Munchies Part 2, Summertime Clay, Hand Building and Intro to Wheel. Ages 2-5: Glue Sticks, Cookies from Around the World, Aliens and Monsters Clay Time. For more information, visit our web site at www.HRCAonline.org or call 303-471-8928.
Get Movin’ camps! Try out our Never Stop Exploring Camps with Active Athletics for children ages 3-7. These fun camps at Southridge begin with a gymnastics session with Action Sports and then they’ll spend the second half of camp, swimming! This is a great camp to get kids moving and exploring their gross motor skills and then cooling off in the pool. For more information, please call 303-471-8818.
Tiny Tots! It’s summer time and your kids are on the move! We are kicking off a number of fun and creative classes for your little tike! Check out our summer splash programs to suit any family’s schedule for your 3-6 year old: Splish Splash: Mondays 9:30 -.11:30 a.m. at Southridge, $15 for a one day class Monday Madness: Mondays 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Westridge, $65 for a month long class Wet and Wonderful: Tuesday/Thursdays 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Eastridge, $65 for a two-week class Wacky and Wonderful Wednesdays: Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Eastridge, $65 for a month long class Surf and Turf: Fridays 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Westridge, $65 for a month long class For more information, please call 303-471-8818.
Backcountry Trail Etiquette Our first five miles of natural surface trails opened in 2006. Now we have over 14 miles of HRCA Trails along with about 12 miles of Douglas Country Trail in the Backcountry Wilderness Area. In those 10 years, mountain biking and trail running have flourished in our community. It’s incredibly pleasing to see the high number of people enjoying our trails on a day-to-day basis, both young and old. With the increase in usage, proper trail etiquette becomes increasingly important. Our trails, along with Douglas County’s trails, are multi-use; that means everyone must work to get along. Here are our top five ways to practice proper trail etiquette: • Bikers yield to pedestrians, everyone yields to horses. By yield, that means either slow way down or stop. Pedestrians can also show good will and step to the side of the trail when it is convenient to allow a biker to pass. Bikers should also alert pedestrians as they approach from behind with a kind “on your left” or some kind of pleasant alert. • Save your earbuds for the treadmill. The trails are not the place to eliminate your ability to hear others or animals. Wearing earbuds increases your chance for an accident. • Where dogs are allowed, keep them on a leash. Not everyone likes dogs. Rattlesnakes are common. Bikes, horses and dogs off leash are not a good mix. • Bikers yield to oncoming bikers; bikes coming up hill have the right of way. • Bikers slow down on tight/blind corners and always be in control. The Backcountry trails are not the place to bomb downhill; head to the ski areas if that’s your thing. As we like to say, “Expect Others, Respect Others. Enjoy the trails, be safe!” Check out all things Backcountry Wilderness Area at www.HRCAonline.org/Backcountry.
SUMMER IN THE BACKCOUNTRY Summer is here! We have so many great ways for all ages to get outdoors in the Backcountry this summer. Outdoor Adventure Camps, Horse Camps and Trail Rides, Art, S’mores and The Outdoors, Chillin’ With Chickens, hikes, hay rides, birthdays, and so much more. Registration is simple and quick. Browse through all of our offerings on our improved web site www.HRCAonline.org/Backcountry . Outdoor Adventure Camps still have spots open. Camps and classes are available for ages 3 and up! This year, all full-day camps offer Before and After care with one central drop-off location for the entire week! Our staff has put in great work to make these camps one of the best outdoor camps around. Don’t miss out!
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PRESORTED Standard US postage paid Highlands Ranch Co Permit #170
9568 University Boulevard, Highlands Ranch, CO 80126
Facility Closures June 11
All recreation centers, 4:00 p.m. Annual Staff Party
Check the web site for the most up-to-date closure information.
Postmaster: Time Sensitive Material. Please deliver by 05/31/16
Community Partners The HRCA’s ability to bring events to Highlands Ranch is made possible in part by our Community Partners, the Highlands Ranch Cultural Affairs Association (CAA), and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD).
june Events For event details, see page 5 or visit www.HRCAonline.org. June 4. . . . . . . . Highlands Ranch Beer Festival June 5-26 . . . . . Farmers’ & Street Markets (Sundays only) June 9. . . . . . . . Summer Concert Series - That Eighties Band June 13. . . . . . . Board Working Session* 6:00 p.m. June 16. . . . . . . Summer Concert Series - Parkside Band June 18 . . . . . . . Classic Car Show June 21. . . . . . . Delegate & Board Meeting* 6:30 p.m. June 23. . . . . . . Summer Concert Series - Mostly Harmless June 24. . . . . . . Culture on the Green - Mudra Dance Studio June 30. . . . . . . Summer Concert Series - Tuxedo Junction * These meetings are open to our members.