More than books at Douglas County Libraries

o u may be surprised at the variety of services offered by the Douglas County Libraries. Learn what’s available at the Seniors’ Council of Douglas County meeting on Thursday, July 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the library in Parker, 20105 Mainstreet. Seniors’ Council meetings are free and open to the public.

According to Tiffany Curtain, Douglas County Libraries (DCL) Literacy Coordinator and Seniors’ Council Education Chair, we can trace the history of American public libraries back to Benjamin Franklin, who donated a collection of books to the Town of Franklin. The townspeople determined that these books should be made freely available to the residents of the town to enjoy.

When aspiring librarians are working on their master’s degrees in Library Science, they are introduced to the S.R. Ranganathan’s 5 laws of Library Science (1931): 1) Books are for use 2) Every person has his or her book 3) Every book has a reader 4) Save the time of the reader 5) A library is a growing organism

Curtain states that as Douglas to the question of how often we should tell our spouses that we love them? e answer is this, before someone else does.

How often should we tell or show our customers how much we love and appreciate them? How often should we tell our children how much we love them and cherish them? How often should we let our friends know how much they mean to us? How often should we tell the people who report to us how grateful we are for all that they do? e answer of course to each one of these questions is, before someone else does.

A spouse who feels unloved will eventually turn to someone else for love. A customer who isn’t feeling the love from a company will bring their business elsewhere. A child who isn’t receiving love, recognition or time from us will be left to their own to decide where they can feel like they are wanted or where they belong. Even our closest friends will start to drift away if they feel ignored or feel like it is a onesided friendship. And we know how hard it is to nd great people to join our team, and how hard it is to retain top talent, we know that people usually don’t leave the company, they leave their leader or manager. Money isn’t the reason they leave reading with children or ensure that people can quickly and easily access their items on hold.

County grows in diversity, the library aims to provide access to books that are relevant and enjoyable to all patrons.

DCL also helps immigrants prepare for U.S. citizenship and gain confidence in English. There is a safe and supportive environment for anyone who seeks help in improving their literacy skills.

Ti any Curtain

In keeping with the fifth principle that a library is a living organism, libraries today engage with communities in innovative and surprising ways. In Douglas County, you may have participated in last year’s Brew Tour (and hopefully are looking forward to another one this fall!) or you may have brought your family to a Family Fete, or Storybook Holiday event, or enjoyed checking out the Forest of Stories decorations last winter. These events are not only fun and creative, but provide opportunities to engage with local businesses and elevate our communities through partnerships. Of course books remain the core of public libraries. DCL brings in major authors like Lisa See, Luis Alberto Urrea and John Gierach to name a few from earlier this year.

either, it’s usually because they feel under appreciated.

I have asked the same question to many groups over the years when I was conducting sales training or leadership training, so I have heard many of the responses that may have been running through your mind as you considered your response, every day, three times a day, all the time, every time you part company and every time you see each other again, morning noon and night, and many others. And these are all great answers, and when we can internalize the thought around, “Before someone else does,” we will more than likely increase our frequency for showing love and appreciation for those that matter most to us.

Are you making sure that the people around you are feeling loved and appreciated? Or was this a good reminder that even if we think we are saying it enough, we might be able to show it and say it a little bit more often? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail. com and when we can let others know how much we love them before anyone else does, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

Volunteering at the library helps not only the library but the entire community, states Curtain. There are rewarding and challenging opportunities for volunteers, from teens to centenarians. Volunteering at the library also provides an opportunity for social connection in ways that are comfortable for both introverts and extroverts. Volunteering also has the potential to transform people’s lives as volunteers help adults learn English or prepare for high school equivalency exams or develop basic literacy skills. Volunteers also help invigorate the love of

The vision for Douglas County Libraries is to elevate the community by inspiring a love of reading, discovery and connection. Every person embodies a story that ensures the vivacity of the community.

Tiffany Curtain and other DCL staff will present on July 6 at the Parker Library event. Seniors’ Council of Douglas County serves and advocates for older adults. Our signature event, Vintage and Vibrant, is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28 in Parker. Information and updates are available online at douglas.co.us/community-services/services/senior-services/seniors-council.

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Spring is in full swing, bringing many folks around Colorado out of the doldrums of winter with the promise of outdoor recreation.

For folks who aren’t fans of “traditional sports” — think baseball, basketball, football, soccer — there are plenty of unique, exciting alternatives throughout the Centennial State. From roller skating to parkour, there is no shortage of variety in Colorado’s recreation options.

Roller skating, roller hockey and roller derby

Roller sports are alive and well in Colorado. Folks have quite a few options for activities revolving around wheeled feet; from roller skating to roller hockey to roller derby, there is no shortage of options.

Roller skating lovers have a plethora of skate parks in the metro area and can get all of their gear — and some lessons — from the newlyopened Denver Skates Shop in Arvada. e store provides ttings and skating lessons for folks ranging from novices to experienced park skaters.

Brina Wyss, a sales associate and coach at Denver Skates Shop, said that roller sports experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic that’s since died down, but has nonetheless roughly doubled the community’s size.

“I think there was a big surge in interest in wheels and skating during the pandemic, but it was a trend” Wyss said. “I people had a lot of spare time and were looking for something active to do. e community has de nitely grown at least twice as much during the pandemic.”

Wyss participates in roller derby, which is played at the professional and recreational level in Colorado. Wyss said the competitive nature and team atmosphere of roller derby came to be a replacement for volleyball, which she played competitively growing up.

“A lot of people do (skating) for joy and exercise,” Wyss said. “I do it as a way to escape, and it’s also a great way of community meeting.”

Denver Roller Derby operates a large number of recreational and traveling teams and has opportunities for new players.

Folks looking for a non-contact alternative to ice hockey might nd roller hockey appealing — Skate City operates rinks in Arvada, Westminster and Littleton that o er roller skating and hockey, while Rocky Mountain Roller Hockey operates youth and adult leagues out of the Foothills Fieldhouse in Lakewood, and the Parker Fieldhouse also hosts youth and adult roller hockey.

Ultimate frisbee/ disc golf

Frisbee sports have come into favor in Colorado recently — a semiprofessional ultimate frisbee team kicked o their inaugural season in Golden this month — with two main ways to play.

Ultimate frisbee resembles American football in that teams must complete passes in an end zone to score points. As the name suggests, disc golf resembles “traditional” golf, but is played with a disk instead of a ball. e Denver Summer Ultimate League is the oldest ultimate frisbee competition in the state, and just nished registration for its 2023 season.

Disc golf fans may nd more frequent playing options. In Arvada, the Johnny Roberts Disc Golf

Course and Birds Nest Disc Golf Course both operate at city parks.

Colorado Christian University operates a disc golf course in Lakewood, and Foothills Parks and Recreation operates the Fehringer Ranch Disc Golf Course in Morrison.

For those looking for a more secluded experience, the Wondervu Disc Golf Course in Golden is considered to be one of the most scenic — and challenging — courses around.

Parkour

According to gym owner Lorin Ball, the de nition of parkour is simple: “Using environment to get from point A to point B in the most e cient way possible.”

Ball is the owner of Flow Vault, a parkour and ninja warrior — yes, American Ninja Warrior — training gym in ornton. Flow Vault opened in 2008 and o ers classes to people ages 5 and up. His gym has even graduated some ninja warriors to the popular NBC show.

“It’s a full curriculum, similar to that of gymnastics, where you have di erent levels of progressions,” Ball said. “We’re training people to be more intentional with their movement and apply that to other sports or physical activities that they do.”

Other parkour gyms in the area include APEX Denver, Path Movement in Littleton and Ninja Intensity in Parker.

Aerial Adventures

Finally, Colorado has no shortage of arial adventure options. Ropes courses and adventure parks are plentiful in the Centennial State and are often and family-friendly way to recreate uniquely.

e Colorado Adventure Center is based in Idaho Springs, e EDGE Ziplines and Adventures is in Castle Rock, and the Treehouse Adventure Park is based in Bailey.