News-Press DCCR 9-26-2013
Castle Rock
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 27
September 26, 2013
Free
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourcastlerocknews.com
Proposal for openly carrying guns fizzles Town’s public buildings likely to keep prohibition By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com
All nine of the public high school marching bands in Douglas County got together for a Sept. 18 showcase, a chance to perform in front of a crowd early in the season. Pictured are some of Chaparral High School’s performers. Photos by Virginia Grantier
Showcase steps right up Rain stays away from marching-band event By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com They played on the football field for almost four hours — and never dropped the ball. Every marching band in the Douglas County School District, all nine of them, showed up to play at a Sept. 18 band showcase at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. And ultimately — even though three of the bands are brandnew, and each had strengths and weaknesses — all had a “really neat moment … had a great moment on the field” that people in the crowd of about 600 recognized, said Orlando Otis, band showcase organizer and Legend High School band director. This was the school district’s third annual band showcase, but it’s really the first, because the other two were rained out. The showcase is meant to be a way for the bands to experience a live crowd and hone skills early in the season, Otis said. Under gathering clouds, the showcase started after the bands, in about an hour’s time, were able to unload trucks, get dressed, warm up and prepare to play.
Castle View High School marching band director Mark Cellar gives instructions before sending musicians off to watch other performances until it was their turn to hit the field playing at the Sept. 18 showcase.
The wind made things like practicing the throwing of flags and catching them challenging, but as the leader of one band reminded her squad, “Ponderosa (High School) does not drop a toss,” she yelled into the wind. To help keep hair just right and hats on heads, there was some intense hair-spraying and the use of a hair-glue product. And even then, at least one person was seen gamely marching in formation, hands clutching a clarinet, as her hat turned Tower-of-Pisa-like, slipping, nearly blocking her vision. The new bands, still building their programs and not participating in the state marching band competitions this year, are Showcase continues on Page 7
Unlike football players, marching band members’ hairstyles have to be uniform and often take a lot of hairspray and hair “glue,” it was explained as Rock Canyon High School marching band member Hil Probasco, 14, got the treatment.
Castle Rock is likely to keep its ban on the open carrying of guns in town buildings and facilities, after a lopsided vote at a town council meeting where several citizens called for the ban to remain. The idea of repealing the ban on opencarry began with Mayor Paul Donahue. He cast the lone vote in favor of repealing the ban at the Sept. 17 council meeting — but said two days later that the vote was accidental. The 5-1 vote — with Councilmember Joe Procopio absent — came after a majority of about 17 residents and business owners speaking on the issue opposed the idea of open-carry in town buildings, as did a majority of town employees polled. It also followed a report that the town’s public safety commission, which advises the town council on police and fire matters, had voted at a past commission meeting to recommending keeping the prohibition. The council’s vote was to direct town staff to do some light housekeeping and create clearer wording in a new prohibition ordinance that would give the council full authority on imposing the ban. Wording is to be taken out that has the town manager, not town council, directing the posting of notifications regarding firearms prohibition. The new ordinance will come before council later this year. Donahue said in a Sept. 19 phone interview that his dissenting vote was accidental. “It’s just one of those things … I’ve never done it before on council. Your mind just goes blank. I’m dead serious,” he said. Donahue, who brought up the idea earlier this year of repealing the open-carry ban, said after hearing the thought-out, respectful comments at the meeting, he thinks his Second Amendment rights probably are still intact regardless of a ban — since he has a concealed-weapons permit and so can carry a concealed gun. He said he still thinks it’s unfortunate there seems to be a stereotype that firearms owners could be unstable. “I have a hard time with that. But it is what it is.” Also, he said, even if open-carry were allowed, the likelihood of ever seeing someone doing that would be unlikely. But a number of audience members didn’t want that opportunity to see someone open-carrying in a community that several described as a world-class, safe and family-friendly community that would be diminished by a repeal. “What’s to be gained?” asked Ken Kania, of Castle Rock. Kania wanted to know how the town Guns continues on Page 6