Week of July 14, 2022
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DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
CastleRockNewsPress.net
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 13
Goats are looking to eat your invasive plants Castle Pines hosts a herd of critters to prevent fires BY SARA MARTIN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Residents should not be surprised if they see goats throughout Castle Pines. The animals are roaming the area as part of a wildfire prevention program. The City of Castle Pines has partnered with Goats On The Go’s local affiliate, Denver South, to bring its herd to help clean up fire hazards such as invasive plants and brush. “The City of Castle Pines first used goats as a part of wildfire mitigation efforts in 2015 and works in partnership with risk mitigation specialists from South Metro Fire Rescue, as well as local HOAs, SEE GOATS, P8
Homeless camping ban policies differ widely across metro area Other laws can affect where unhoused people may be forced to move BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
osa’s theater director, who warned about the content of the play and offered to answer questions, and staff. “Due to language and content discussed in the show (there is no violence shown, only discussed) this is not a family-friendly show,” the email from theater director Kayla Diaz said. “This is a play about perspectives, and we would not want anyone in the school to
The sight of a person pushing a shopping cart full of belongings, begging for money on major streets or sleeping outdoors is common in many places around the Denver metro area, and the laws that dictate where unhoused people can’t rest differ across the many cities and towns in the region. At least several jurisdictions have no formal camping ban on the books, and Aurora’s new camping ban, which could push people into other areas, illustrates the complexity of laws that affect the unhoused: Whether a person gets moved doesn’t just come down to whether a city has a formal ban or not. Meanwhile, several cities in the Denver suburbs continue to take steps to address homelessness while a pattern of increasing homelessness in the Denver metro area continues. “Camping bans do absolutely nothing to resolve homelessness,” said Cathy Alderman, spokesper-
SEE LAWSUIT, P9
SEE BAN, P3
Goats on the Go Denver South operator Russ McKenna works with Castle Pines Mayor Tracy Engerman and Chuck Lowen, president of the Castle Pines North Metro District, to herd goats COURTESY PHOTO that are working to cut down unwanted weeds and grass in the area.
Former Douglas County assistant principal sues district, claiming religious bias ‘The Laramie Project’ spurred educator to send email Dream
his Christian beliefs. Corey McNellis, a Ponderosa employee from 2007 to 2020, claims school officials terminated him after he objected to the school’s theater company planning to put on a play about the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, according to a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court on July 1. The suit details an email exchange about the play, called “The Laramie Project,” between Ponder-
Big Dreams...
BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A former Ponderosa High School assistant principal is suing the Douglas County School District, alleging he was fired for expressing
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