1-Color
January 9, 2014
Free Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 11, Issue 42 A publication of
castlerocknewspress.net
School board member resigns Justin Williams cites desire to spend more time with family By Jane Reuter
jreuter@coloradocommunitymedia.com Douglas County School Board Member Justin Williams stepped down from his post Jan. 6, saying he wants to fulfill a new year’s resolution to spend more time with his family. Williams had filed with the Colorado Secretary of State as a candidate for House District 44, but said he is not moving forward with that effort.
“I am in the process of withdrawing my filing to run for that seat,” he wrote in an email. “I am not running. I need to be a dad, something I have some room for improvement in.” The seat presently is held by Chris Holbert, who is running for the District 30 Senate seat, currently occupied by Ted Harvey. In a news release issued by the Douglas County School District, Williams said, “I have served on the board for over six years and have really enjoyed being a part of such a wonderful school district with excellent people. “It is time to spend my time focusing on my primary role as a husband and a father to my five children. I am very proud of the work
we have accomplished and will always cherish it.” Williams, who represents the Parker area in District F, was first elected to the board in 2007. He was re-elected in 2011, and his second term was set to expire in NovemWilliams ber 2015. School board president Kevin Larsen, also quoted in the email, said the process to replace Williams will begin after the board formally accepts Williams’ resignation during its Jan. 21 meeting. “Our first priority is to thank Justin for his service, his passion, and his unwavering
commitment to DCSD,” wrote Larsen. “We regret that he will be unable to complete his term. “At our next meeting, the board will discuss a resolution to outline the process for replacing director Williams. I expect that we will set forth a process that includes an application and interview.” Williams, an executive with the Denver branch of the technology company Long View Systems, did not return calls requesting further comment. Douglas County Commissioner Jack Hilbert also has filed as a candidate for House District 44.
Castle Rock councilman steps down Clark Hammelman cites family reasons By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Suzanne Greene, executive director of the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, stands in the middle of a renovation project that will add a private area to receive clients, among other improvements to the task force’s building. Photo by Virginia Grantier
It started in a garage and grew Douglas/Elbert Task Force to celebrate 30 years with concert By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier @coloradocommunitymedia.com A Castle Rock woman, knowing some local families were struggling financially, started collecting items in her garage to distribute to people who needed them. Mela Rudolph knew the families well enough that she often knew just
what they needed and would deliver the items to them, said Connie Huydts, 82, who started helping Rudolph soon after Rudolph started her garage project. That was about 30 years ago. Rudolph and a couple of Rudolph’s friends, such as Minnie Hoffmann, who got involved with the effort, have died. But Huydts is still around. And she’s still volunteering for the organization Rudolph started, which is now called the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, located in a former church building on Park Street. Huydts will be one of several peo-
ple and organizations honored — the first recipients of the new Rudolph Award — when the task force celebrates its 30th anniversary Feb. 16 with a concert featuring Firefall, a Colorado-based band formed in the 1970s. Firefall had a string of hits and is known for its philanthropic efforts, said Joe Roos, the task force’s parttime director of philanthropy. Concert proceeds will go to help fund a $425,000 renovation project for the task force’s building on Park Street. Huydts said she got involved in Task Force continues on Page 6
The resignation of Clark Hammelman, Castle Rock’s mayor pro tem and councilmember for District 6, was the final item on the Jan. 7 agenda. Castle Rock Town Council was expected to discuss his resignation, which was to take effect that night, and discuss filling the vacancy. Hammelman hoped he would be picked to fill the vacancy, he told Colorado Community Media in a Jan. 3 interview. He explained that he had been planning to resign since winning a second term in 2012. Hammelman said his first term, from 2010-2012, was a two-year term. But then the term length for councilmembers was changed to a four-year term. So in 2012 he had to run for a four-year term even though he really didn’t want that length of term for family reasons. He said he’s almost 65 and wants more flexibility in his life, more time with family. But he still wanted to serve for a time, so decided to serve for two years and then resign. He had planned to resign after this spring’s election, but decided it would be best to step down now to give possible candidates time to file their candidacy and be able to run in April. He said he hoped the council would appoint him to fill his vacated seat until the April election. Hammelman said his resignation has nothing to do with the upcoming first reading on Jan. 21 of a draft ordinance that could, after a future second reading, repeal the town’s current ban on open carry of firearms in town buildings. Hammelman has been a supporter of keeping the ban in place. “It doesn’t have anything to do with that… not at all or anything else, other than work — it takes me away from my family,” he said. Hammelman said he hadn’t read a news release put out recently by the Windsor-based Rocky Mountain Gun Owners lobbying group that expressed satisfaction and responsibility for his resignation. Hammelman said he has not been the recipient of Council continues on Page 7