SEE ELECTION

Lora Thomas and Darren Weekly.

Spurlock has endorsed Weekly to serve as his successor.

In Arapahoe County, voters will make decisions on the final candidates to move to the general election in state races and for the District 2 county commissioner seat.

Meeting her three-term limit, current Commissioner Nancy Sharpe is not eligible for re-election.

Looking to replace her are two Republicans vying for a primary win, Mark Gotto and Jason Presley.

On the Democratic side, Jessica Campbell-Swanson is running unopposed.

In state Senate District 27, based in Centennial and also covering nearby Dove Valley, Tom Kim and JulieMarie A. Shepherd Macklin are running for senate on the Republican ticket.

Tom Sullivan is the lone candidate on the Democratic ticket.

The District 27 seat is currently held by Democratic Sen. Chris Kolker, who announced on his Twitter page that he will slide into serving Senate District 16 after redistricting. Kolker’s seat will not be up for reelection until 2024.

Some voters in Douglas County fall in District 27.

State races in Douglas County to be decided include state representative in District 43, which mostly covers Highlands Ranch.

In the Republican primary, voters will decide between Robin Webb and Kurt Huffman. Robert Marshall is running unopposed on the Democratic ticket.

In state House District 44, which covers parts of Aurora, Lone Tree, Parker and Highlands Ranch, Republicans Terry Dodd and Anthony Hartsook are running for the office of state representative.

Democrat Bob Henry is running unopposed in the race.

House District 45, which covers parts of Castle Pines and Castle Rock in Douglas County, has Republicans Bill Jack and Lisa Frizell facing off. Ruby Martinez is running unopposed for the Democratic Party.

In major state races, three Republicans are running for the chance to replace incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold. The candidates are Tina Peters, Mike O’Donnell and Pam Anderson.

Looking to unseat incumbent Gov. Jared Polis, the Republican ticket has the options of Greg Lopez and Heidi Ganahl.

With ballots already hitting mailboxes, election officials say residents have until June 28 at 7 p.m. to vote.

In teaming up this year, Arapahoe and Douglas counties have also increased options on where to drop off completed ballots.

Earlier this month, the two counties announced the installation of a 24-hour ballot drop box near the border between Arapahoe and Douglas counties to serve voters from both areas. The box is located outside the South Suburban Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch, and the cobranded ballot box represents the first such partnership between the counties.

For election information in Arapahoe County, visit the website at arapahoevotes.gov/upcomingelection.

In Douglas County, voters can learn more about upcoming elections at douglas.co.us/elections/ election-information.

Freedom brings responsibility

This Independence Day, give our streams a break. Not only are personal fireworks a fire danger, but also, their waste poses a threat to our waterways when not disposed of properly. Summer days in Colorado often bring flashing rain and thunderstorms that quickly wash away waste on streets and parking lots, sending them straight to the nearest stream. What isn’t collected and thrown away after the celebration may be gone before you know it. Take the time this holiday and clean up after yourself.

Local stormwater agencies are teaming up to bring you this message. We take this so seriously that we posted this ad rather than send you more garbage in the mail. One thing is clear: our creeks, rivers and lakes depend on you.

THIS STORMWATER MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Visit onethingisclear.org to: • Report accidental and illegal dumping to your local agency • Search local volunteer events • Find more helpful tips

Mayor Millet welcomes project with open arms

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Lone Tree is getting the fi rst public spacefl ight training facility for aerospace professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Star Harbor Academy, started by a collection of aerospace professionals, astronauts and former NASA employees, is envisioned to be a multi-faceted space business, providing training for spacefl ight, supporting research and development efforts in the industry and helping educate people on space discoveries and potentials.

The academy will be one of the fi rst commercial businesses to offer spacefl ight training outside of NASA facilities and the only to have training available to the public.

“It will be professional crew training, spacefl ight participants or tourism, then there’s also certifi cation training … and the leisure market, so catering to the space enthusiasts, adventure seekers and folks that just want to see if they have the right stuff, even if they don’t necessarily have plans to actually go to space,” Star Harbor Academy CEO Maraia Tanner said. “The primary difference will be the academic education”

In preparation for the growth of the space industry and commercial spacefl ights, Tanner said the academy will help meet the growing demand for employee training within the space industry.

“When I would ask what (spacefl ight companies’) plans were for training and scaling up, across the board, the sentiment was we’ll worry about it later,” Tanner said. “So there’s a really profound need for it.”

Some of the key elements of spacefl ight training Star Harbor will include parabolic fl ights, a human centrifuge, a neutral buoyancy tank and hypobaric and hyperbaric chambers. The academy plans to have distinct trainings for spacefl ight crews, passengers and civilians.

Tanner said Star Harbor already has partnerships with many spacefl ight companies, though she didn’t name them since the partnerships haven’t been announced yet.

On top of the possible SpaceX and BlueOrigin passengers, Tanner said Star Harbor is trying to make space more accessible to more people. Though the academy is in early stages, Tanner estimated costs for leisure training would start around $5,000.

“We’re trying to price in a way that really is attainable,” Tanner said.

Even though spacefl ight is one of the more exciting elements of Star Harbor, Tanner said it will be equally dedicated to partnering on research and development, as well as with schools and universities to create academic programs and workforce development education.

The 53-acre Lone Tree campus will include housing, offi ce space, a hotel, an e-sports arena and restaurants, provided through partnerships with existing businesses. Additionally, Star Harbor will have a nonprofi t foundation that will focus on the future of space and space exploration.

Tanner said Star Harbor chose Lone Tree because of Colorado’s booming space industry, access to public transportation and local support for the project from Mayor Jackie Millet and City Manager Seth Hoffman.

During her 2022 State of the City address on May 10, Millet shared her enthusiasm for the new company coming to Lone Tree.

“We cannot wait to welcome this new neighbor to our city,” she said.

Currently, Star Harbor Academy is in the design phase with plans to start construction in 2023 and open in 2026. Once open, the academy suggests it will draw two million visitors annually.

Star Harbor Academy, to be built in Lone Tree, is envisioned to be a multi-faceted space business, providing training for spacefl ight, supporting research and development e orts in the industry and helping educate people on space discoveries and

potentials. COURTESY OF STAR HARBOR ACADEMY

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