News-Press DCCR 12-5-2013
Castle Rock
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 37
December 5, 2013
Free
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcastlerocknews.com
Senior center facing cutbacks Agency to get some help on Colorado Gives Day By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com
THE SEASON Castle Rock Town Hall’s “backyard,” Festival Park, has recently become more festive this holiday season. Photo by Virginia Grantier
Castle Rock’s ‘amazing’ clerk saluted for work Misare honored by group of peers around state By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com It’s a place of symmetry — clean, no loose papers, books on shelves just so, even the stapler on the counter didn’t seem casually placed, squared to the counter edge and to the squared stack of nearby notebooks, nothing cockeyed, misaligned, askew, in the office of the recently selected Colorado Municipal Clerk of the Year: Sally Misare, Castle Rock’s town clerk. She smiled and said she can be a little “OCD.” Other people have other descriptions of her. “She’s amazing,” said Wendy Heffner, Littleton’s city clerk, and president of the Colorado Municipal Clerk Association, the 275-member organization that picked Misare for the honor. “This is a big thing in our world,” Heffner said. Heffner, who described the clerk position as being the “organizer of the city,” said clerks from around the state know Misare is the clerk to call if they have a question about just about anything. “She’s one of the most organized and
Castle Rock doesn’t just have a good town clerk — it has the best this year. Sally Misare, pictured in her office, was surprised recently with the honor from the Colorado Municipal Clerks Association. Photo by Virginia Grantier well-loved clerks in our organization,” Heffner said. “She’s the go-to gal when you have a question … about elections, licensing … marijuana licensing. She’s an amazing lady.”
Misare said she didn’t notice anything unusual going on in the days leading up to the Nov. 26 town council meeting, but plans were being made. Clerk continues on Page 11
Castle Rock Senior Center will have to make cuts — including to its transportation program that gives seniors rides to medical appointments, grocery stores and other needs — if it can’t make up an expected $50,000 shortfall in federal grants and private foundations, the center’s president and its executive director said recently. “If we cannot come up with our needed funding, then we will have to cut services and/or programs,” Terry Shipley, the senior center’s executive director, told Colorado Community Media. In addition, Rich Smoski, the senior center’s board president, said the 2014 budget level they’re trying to reach, $389,000, which is the same amount as the 2013 budget, is just to sustain current services, not to grow. Smoski said the county’s senior population is growing and the needs are growing. He said a few years ago, the transportation program with 50 volunteer drivers and nine vehicles — which gives rides to mostly low-income seniors — gave about 450 rides each month. “We’re doubling that, now,” he said. He also said the senior center has 800 dues-paying members, but more than 50 percent of the seniors given rides aren’t members. Smoski said the service is important in this area that doesn’t have public transportation, for seniors who “don’t have the means to get to the grocery store” and other locations. To try to make up some of the shortfall, the senior center this year will be one of the nonprofits that people can donate to on Dec. 10, Colorado Gives Day, which is an initiative to increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving. Credit card and processing fees are covered by sponsors. Colorado Gives Day, at ColoradoGives. org, is sponsored by the Community First Foundation and FirstBank, and last year raised $15.7 million for Colorado nonprofits, according to a press release. The senior center is one of 29 nonprofits in the Douglas County Non-Profit Coalition that’s participating. To learn more about the coalition, and get links to Colorado Gives Day, go to DouglasCountyGives.com. Smoski said the senior center, which services seniors in all parts of the county except Parker and Highlands Ranch, can depend on the Town of Castle Rock and Douglas County for about 45 percent of its Cuts continues on Page 11