June 2014 South Aurora Magazine

June 2014

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South Aurora

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AURORA e n i z a g Ma SOUTH

SOUTH AURORA’S PREMIERE MONTHLY COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

southauroramagazine.com

In This Issue Magazine

June 2014 Volume 6 Issue 6 PUBLISHER MIKE WAID

mike.waid@waidpublishing.com

EDITOR PAMELA WAID

pam.waid@mikewaid.com

AD SALES TIFFANY GRIZZLE

tiffany@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 14

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ADRIENNE ZEAK BRUST

adrienne@waidpublishing.com

South Aurora Magazine is published 12 times per year by Waid Publishing (www.

WaidPublishing.com), a division of Mike Waid & Associates, Inc. (www.MikeWaid.com), 19751 E. Mainstreet, Suite R-18, Parker, CO 80138, 303805-9455. South Aurora Magazine is available online at www.southauroramagazine.com.

South Aurora Magazines is a trademark of Waid Publishing. All rights reserved. The views, opinions and/or statements made or expressed by individuals and/or entities, are not necessarily reflective of the views and opinions of Waid Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced without explicit permission from South Aurora Magazine. Copyright 2014 South Aurora Magazine - All rights Reserved.

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Colorado Renaissance Festival

Parker Days Festival

The Bookends: The Promise of Stardust

Local Author Spotlight: Seeing the Elephant

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WIN A FAMILY 4 PACK OF COLORADO RENAISSANCE TICKETS! Here is your chance to win a FAMILY FOUR PACK OF TICKETS TO THE COLORAD RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL! Simply enter our South Aurora Magazine scavenger hunt contest. It’s easy to enter. Simply go online to www.southauroramagazine.com and click on our contest page. There you will find two “phrases” that are located within the pages of this issue of South Aurora Magazine. Simply enter the page number of those phrases on the online contest entry form and, as long as the page numbers are correct, you will be entered to win! We will randomly draw a winner from all correct entries.

GOOD LUCK!

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June 2014

South Aurora

Family Fun Fit for a King:

H

ere Ye! Here Ye! Another summer of the most unique, affordable forms of family fun is back.

The Colorado Renaissance Festival’s banners unfurl the weekend of June 14th and will be open, rain or shine, every weekend through August 3rd.

It is challenging to find an outdoor attraction more family friendly, with more variety that is more fun than the Renaissance Festival. Just thirty-five minutes south of Denver, thirty minutes north of the Springs and minutes off I-25 just south of Castle Rock, the entire front range has a front seat for medieval merriment.

Jousters, comedy performers, fire eaters, acrobatics and jugglers will delight and amaze you.

Browse the streets of the festival village to find over 225 artisans offering one of a kind items such as hand blown glass, pottery, furniture, brass ware and jewelry. Of course, no trip is complete without treating yourself to some unbelievable food. It wouldn’t be right to experience the Colorado Renaissance Festival without indulging in the famous Turkey Drumsticks or Steak on a Stake!

It’s almost impossible to sum up the endless attractions and activities offered during the festival, but here’s just a • Puke & Snot – Game of Clones! The show everyone loves reinvented.

• Hey Nunnie Nunnie – Laughter will ring like convent bells! A dazzling display of improve and comedic escapades, crackling jokes, songs and “counseling” hilarity sure to please.

• Majestic Endangered Cats – New cats that will bring excitement and education. The big cats (and some small ones too) will thrill audiences with their power and majesty! Also catch the majestic birds in the new Nature’s Educators; learn more about the sport of Kings, Falconry!

June 2014

sampling of what’s in store this summer: JUNE 14TH & 15TH Opening Weekend, “BOGO” coupon offer from participating Wendy’s JUNE 21ST & 22ND Royal Ale & Art Festival and Military Appreciation weekend.

BOGO free adult ticket with Military ID and children (under 12) of military personnel get in free.

JUNE 28TH & 29TH Celtic Festival

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• Johnny Fox… Sword Swallowing Extraordinaire – A brand new addition to the festival sure to amaze you with his feats of sword swallowing, magic and comedy.

• Also appearing, Celtic Legacy, The KamiKazi Fireflies, Ye Klass Klowne, Arsene of Paris, Cast in Bronze, The Rick Stratton Hypnotist Show, Washing Well Wenches, Wilsome-Great Balls of Fire and during the last five weekends, catch The London Broil; a show filled with improvisational comedy, and impressive feats of juggling.

JULY 5TH & 6TH Children’s Weekend – young knights and maidens 12 and under admitted for free with a paying adult JULY 12TH & 13TH Wine Revelry JULY 19TH & 20TH Love and Romance – Bring your beloved to the “Renewal of Vows” ceremony.

JULY 26TH & 27TH Music and Dance Festival featuring Belly Dance Troupe, the Vodca Family and Celtic Legacy AUGUST 2ND & 3RD Fare Thee Well and Mardi Gras Style Carnivale – The Final Huzzah! Come celebrate King Henry’s 524th Birthday and “Let Ye Olde Good Times Roll!” A fitting way to end the 38th season of the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

If you’re left with the decision of not if you’re going, but when; this may help…

Whether you prefer to peruse over 200 booths filled with one of a kind artistry, you are a connoisseur of scrumptious cuisine, or you prefer taking in the dazzling feats one of a kind performers and unique shows – the Colorado Renaissance festival is sure to make you feel like a King for a day with memories that will last a lifetime.

For more information, visit www.ColoradoRenaissance.com or call 303.688.6010v www.coloradorenaissance.com, (303) 688-6010 for more info

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PARKER DAYS 2014 COMMUNITY FESTIVAL: JUNE 13, 14 & 15

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hose who live and work in Parker know that you haven’t truly experienced the town until you’ve been to Parker Days, a signature event of the Parker Chamber of Commerce! Complete with a carnival, homespun crafts, good food and plenty of FREE music, Parker Days offers three action-packed days of activities for the entire family.

The 2014 Parker Days is scheduled for June 13, 14 and 15 in beautiful downtown Parker with a bonus “1/2 day” on Thursday June 12th from 5pm – 10pm.

A combination of beautiful Colorado weather, rides and games, FREE live entertainment and more than 100 funfilled vendor and arts & crafts booths in the Market Place provide the community with a fantastic weekend of fun.

As always, there will be plenty of your favorite Festival Food options and beverages in the Food and Beverage Garden.

Also available is a special kid’s which features special activities for children, such as unique bounce houses and a family entertainment stage.

Saturday morning of the Festival ushers in the traditional hometown parade. Each year, Mainstreet and Victorian Drive is lined with families enjoying a variety of parade entries, including floats, marching bands, horses and vintage cares. Several civic organizations and nonprofit groups host special events as well, such as community pancake breakfasts.

For 37 years, Parker Days has been the signature summer event and official Parker holiday, uniting Parker in community pride. With more than 120,000 people attending over the three days, it is an event that simply cannot be missed.

For more information or to purchase carnival ride tickets, head on over to parkerdaysfestival.com today!

See you there! v

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BOOKENDS The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley Matt and Elle grew up living next to each other and have shared many of life’s ups and downs.

The story starts when they are in their late thirties and happily married. Matt is a successful neurosurgeon and his wife Elle is a brilliant scientist.

A fall from a ladder leaves Elle brain-dead and as a neurosurgeon he understands that she will not recover from her injuries. After watching her mother die a slow death, Elle has made it clear that she does not want her life artificially extended. Although he is devastated, Matt wants to fulfill her wishes. That is until bloodwork from the emergency room reveals that Elle is pregnant.

After years of trying to have a baby he knows that Elle would do anything to protect this life inside of her. His mother believes differently and as Elle’s medical power of attorney she is ready to battle for Elle’s desires.

BECKY: I think that a book club would have great discussion with this book. Not only is there the obvious question about whether Elle’s body should continue for the sole purpose to incubate the baby but there are other relationships to explore as well. The author is a woman but the main character is Matt. Do you think that she was successful in writing with a male voice?

PAM: I felt that the author was successful in writing from male perspective.

Matt has some very difficult decisions to make, especially when faced with extreme opposition from family members and people he respects and loves.

However, he knows in his heart, that Elle would do anything to save her baby and he is prepared to do everything in his power to honor this. The author takes the reader back into the past, in order to establish the history between Elle and Matt, as well as give background about Elle’s mother’s fight with cancer. Do you feel that she gave depth to the characters and were you able to understand the relationships within the families?

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BECKY: The reflections on the past gave good insight to all of the characters. It felt like a movie playing in that the information was given in scenes rather than from Matt’s view or his opinion. The characters, including Matt and Elle were not perfect and their flaws were believable.

While reading this tale did you feel like the story represented both sides of the difficult question of when does life begin and end?

PAM: The author definitely created a very intense environment in her story.

The characters obviously felt very strongly about their different viewpoints and those feelings made for a tense setting. In this way, I felt that the author represented many of the feelings that would be present in this situation on both sides of the argument. Since the author took us back into the past, did you feel that you were able to get to know Elle’s character?

BECKY: The reflections went all the way back to when Elle was young and

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lived next door to Matt so I do feel like I knew her well. There is also a previous boyfriend of Elle’s that is a character so we have a picture of her outside of her relationship with Matt as well.

All of the reflections made me feel like I was peeking into the life of a real couple that had history including some flaws, which I found very enjoyable.

A portion of this book revolves around a lawsuit that is filed by Matt’s mother as she tries to stop him from continuing Elle’s life. Do you feel like this is a courtroom drama or more of a romance?

PAM: Although there were aspects of a courtroom drama, I would classify this as a romance. The author did a great job of pulling the reader into Elle and Matt’s relationship and it was clear that they loved each other deeply.

Their relationship wasn’t perfect and they had a long history with problems as well as celebrations. But, I felt that this made their love more realistic and more believable. Matt decides he must fight his mom, brother in law, and Elle’s ex-boyfriend in order to honor her memory and do what he feels deep down she would want him to do in this tragic situation. Elle’s ex-boyfriend and his behavior was not my favorite part of this book, to say the least.

What were your thoughts about this character?

BECKY: I would agree that he was my least favorite character. There is a reason why he is brought into the storyline but I could have done without this character. It didn’t flow with the rest of the story and felt like it was added as an afterthought. He has a small role so it didn’t have much impact on a wonderful read. It has a spot in my favorite picks and it was a great reminder to make it known what your end-of-life decisions are. Will it make it onto your top ten list?

PAM: When I first started reading this book, I felt the arguing among the families was upsetting (although probably realistic). However, I became so engrossed in the book that I could not put it down. Although I don’t know if it is in my top ten list, it is toward the top of my favorites and certainly one that I would recommend! Next month we will go in a very different direction and read the suspenseful Always Watching by Chevy Stevens.

LOCAL AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT Seeing the Elephant by David Quinn

that he is putting his trust in the right people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Seeing the Elephant tells the historical events of the Mountain Meadow Massacre through the eyes of fictional character Jigger Richmond. Mormon prophecies and lore are brought to life through the current and relevant character Sax Richmond and his race toward the presidency. Full of depth and captivating characters, Seeing the Elephant is a perfect blend of the past and present that will keep readers engaged to the very last scene.

Author David Quinn is a retired teacher. He has always been a lover of history and of reading.

Seeing the Elephant is a marriage of those interests. It is his first novel.

Available online at Amazon.com

June 2014

I

knew I would wake up at any moment. I would be back in the circle of wagons, in the middle, and everything would be warm again. I wouldn’t tell anyone about this dream. But I didn’t wake up. We were still running through the bodies and the Mormons and the Indians.

Those were the words of Jigger Richmond, in the letter she lefts as her legacy. Her descendent, presidential candidate Sax Richmond, has discovered that his ancestors were not only survivors of the 1857 Mountain Meadow Massacre but one was a conspirator. As he continues his presidential campaign, Sax is now faced with the decision of how to handle the information. Does he hide it as it’s been hidden for decades? Does he come clean before his opponent finds out? He turns to Mormon dignitary for advice, but he can’t be certain

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Is Weight Loss Right for You?

By Josh Long, MD

H

ave you tried to lose weight and been unsuccessful? If you are concerned that your weight is impacting your health, weight loss surgery may be the answer to regaining your quality of life.

Research shows that fat acts like an organ, producing hormones that inhibit your ability to lose weight with conventional lifestyle modification.

This is one of the reasons few people are able to lose and maintain significant weight loss with diet and exercise alone. If you have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise and have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, a surgical weight loss option may work for you.

Benefits of weight loss (bariatric) surgery Bariatric surgery is known to be the most effective and durable treatment for morbid obesity and many related conditions. It can improve or resolve more than 30 weight-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hypertension and high cholesterol. Bariatric surgery may allow you to improve your life expectancy by up to 89 percent and significantly reduce your risk of premature death due to obesity-related disease.

Typically, patients achieve maximum weight loss within one to two years after surgery which quickly leads to improvements in weight-related conditions.

Who is a candidate?

• Patients qualify for bariatric surgery by meeting the following minimum criteria: • Be at least 18 years of age.

• Have a BMI of greater than 35 with at least one related disease, or greater than 40 without. Calculate Your BMI Here • Be smoke-free for at least two months before surgery and be committed to being smoke-free for life.

• Any current health or psychological co-morbidities must be well controlled and monitored by a health professional.

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At the Bariatric and Metabolic Center of Colorado, we offer a comprehensive approach that includes professional dietary evaluation, psycho-social counseling, and endocrine/metabolic treatment to address all of the factors that may be contributing to your health problems. We also offer the most innovative, minimally invasive, and effective surgical approaches. We tailor this coordinated program to your individual needs to maximize your weight loss success and to restore your health.

For more information about bariatric surgery, we invite you to attend a free seminar from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on July 9, August 13 or September 10 in the Conference Center at Parker Adventist Hospital. Call 303-777-6877 opt. 1 to register.

Josh Long, MD, fellowship trained bariatric surgeon at the Bariatric and Metabolic Center of Colorado and Parker Adventist Hospital. 9397 Crown Crest Blvd. in the Sierra Medical Office Building, Suite 440, Parker, Colorado, 80138. Phone: 303-269-4370, website: www.bariatriccenterco.com 11 SOUTH AURORA MAGAZINE

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