News-Press DOUGLAS1/31/13
Castle Rock
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 10, Issue 45
January 31, 2013
Free
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcastlerocknews.com
Efficiency spurring economic upswing Announcements keep coming in for county By Ryan Boldrey
rboldrey@ourcoloradonews.com
An anxious cowpoke peeks out from the crowd of kids at the National Western Stock Show Stick Horse Rodeo on Jan. 26. More than 60 kids participated in the annual children’s event.
KIDS AND CRITTERS PHOTOS BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY The National Western Stock Show on Jan. 27 concluded its 107th year. It is always one of the biggest events for ranchers from across the country. Kids and critters make the show in Denver fun and always unpredictable. A quick look around the show found a variety of barnyard favorites as well as a few new exotic breeds making their way into the mainstream. Kids worked, played and gave it their best shot in the annual stick rodeo. Among the standard fare of livestock, many new and exotic breeds have found their way to the National Western Stock Show. Here, a curious Scottish Highlands bull takes an interest in the camera.
Dining for Women spans globe to give Sedalia chapter aims for local growth By Rhonda Moore
rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com The national nonprofit Dining for Women began with a goal to reach women in impoverished nations, one potluck at a time. The effort since 2002 has reached hundreds of women worldwide, with a collective giving model that has raised more than $2.1 million. Two Sedalia women hope to be part of that model, with a local chapter aimed for expansion. Betty Purkey-Huck and Sharon Padilla were neighbors and walking buddies who heard about Dining for Women and de-
cided to join the effort. The two, who have lived in Sedalia for 28 and 38 years respectively, found a venue at their neighborhood clubhouse for monthly dinners that double as evening fundraisers. The Dining for Women concept is akin to a girls’ night out, with a mission. Members are encouraged to bring a dish for “dining in” and invited to contribute their “dining out” dollars — the money they would have otherwise spent on a lunch or a night out — to the campaign. The money raised is pooled with that of more than 400 chapters nationwide to fund qualified programs that foster health, education, and economic self sufficiency among women living in extreme poverty. With 9,800 members, the effort was ranked in 2012 by greatnonprofits.org as a top-rated nonprofit. The organization aims for charities that provide aid in im-
poverished nations and has reached cancer patients in El Salvador, victims of war in Afghanistan and girls victimized by sex trafficking in Southeast Asia. “It’s like a learning experience because every month we reach two charities,” said Purkey-Huck. “Now that it’s grown so big our money doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. You always know there’s poverty in the world, but by helping all over the world you see changes being made.” The Sedalia chapter is aiming for local growth and is gauging interest among its neighbors in Castle Rock. The chapter has contributed about $1,500 since its inception. The number might seem modest but, once pooled, makes a difference, PurkeyHuck said. Dining continues on Page 8
After a 2012 that saw Hitachi, Dish Network and Children’s Hospital, among others, move into Douglas County, 2013 has started with a bang. In the first month alone, Charles Schwab, Redwood Trust and Visa have announced a combined 1,500 new jobs in Douglas County. What’s the secret? “I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that Douglas County has done a good job with property tax, has got a good business climate by and large, and overall statewide there’s a pretty low tax rate,” said director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Ken Lund. “We’ve got a phenomenal workforce and a great place to be. I think we can compete on Lund that basis.” That, modest incentives and a “get-it-done” attitude, Lund said, are what have allowed Colorado and Douglas County to haul in new business at an alarming rate. While other states may offer better incentives, Colorado has been focused Repella on saving prospective businesses time and money with top-notch execution to lure them in. “We competed for the Visa project with Virginia and Utah, two states that claim to be the best in execution, but we had a final contract with Visa before those states even submitted a bid,” Lund said. With each announcement, Douglas County becomes more of an attraction, too. “Every time we land one business, Hitachi for example, it demonstrates to other businesses, `wow, something is good there. If that business chose to go there, we should look at that area,’ ” said Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella. “The more announcements we get, the more attention we get, and the more success we have.” Repella knows it’s all about the followthrough, though, and that’s part of the reason Douglas County has been so successful. “As an elected official I can pretty much say anything I want,” Repella said. “But if we don’t have follow-through all the way through to the end as they are experiencing going through the construction process and getting their business’ doors open, then our words mean nothing.” Bigger than the number of jobs that have come into the county of late — an estimated 4,000 in the last six months — is the overall economic impact. “Children’s Hospital came in with 300 new jobs and that’s about a $3 million yearly economic impact,” Repella said. “So do the math. We are talking significant numbers on local impact. That trickles through the entire economy and existing businesses benefit from that.” “From a state perspective, you see the difference in speed in Douglas County,” Lund said. “The metabolism of government is different. I see that because we are sitting on top of the whole state. You may or may not see it depending on where you sit, but we see it every single day. Douglas County, to Jill’s credit and to the other commissioners and other business leaders does it fast and that helps, because speed does matter.”