Castle Rock News-Press 050213

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News-Press Douglas/Castle Rock 5/2/13

Castle Rock

Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 6

thrilled to the brim

May 2, 2013

Free

A Colorado Community Media Publication

ourcastlerocknews.com

Free-ride programs to merge Castle Rock will no longer administer cab vouchers By Rhonda Moore

rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com

Tammy Cratty, left, and Melissa Mares, of the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce, wore wide-brimmed hats in keeping with the Kentucky Derby theme at the chamber’s April 25 awards banquet. For more coverage, turn to page 10. Photo by Rhonda Moore

‘Duck Dynasty’ coming to Castle Rock Reality TV stars turn out to help Christian school By Rhonda Moore

rmoore@ourcoloradonews.com It will be “Duck Dynasty” central at the Douglas County Event Center when the Robertsons come to town. Phil and Willie Robertson, self-proclaimed “rednecks” and stars of the popular A&E television show “Duck Dynasty,” will be in Castle Rock May 19 as guests of The Rock Christian Academy. The Robertsons will share their stories of faith, family and work ethic during the event to raise money for the private school. The Robertsons receive hundreds of speaking invitations each year and are selective about the invitations they accept, said Michael Brumbaugh, assistant director of parent-teacher fellowship for The Rock Christian Academy. Brumbaugh got the “Duck Dynasty” education during weeks of lobbying for their visit to Castle Rock. Brumbaugh was introduced to the Robertsons during a family visit. “When my father-in-law was here visiting for Christmas, he introduced me to the show,” Brumbaugh said. “I watched it that night and I was just rolling. I thought it was great.” The “Duck Dynasty” family made its fortune with a patented duck call, and their reality show follows their lives in the Louisiana bayou as they run their family business and their backwoods homes. Brumbaugh does not know what pushed The Rock Christian Academy to the top of the list for the “Duck Dynasty” group, but plans to use proceeds from the event to help fund a 10,000-square-foot expan-

The Town of Castle Rock is ready to get out of the taxi business. Town council on April 16 approved a proposal from its transportation department to hand over the reins of its taxi service to Douglas County. Merging the services will make it easier for Castle Rock residents to take advantage of the free program, said Bob Watts, Castle Rock transportation planning manager. The town and county provide free cab rides to residents who qualify for the respective programs. The county’s program, funded through a federal grant, limits riders to those who need transportation to and from work, Watts said. The county estimates that about 80 percent of its transportation requests originate in Castle Rock. The town’s program, funded through its annual budget, is available to the elderly, the disabled, or anyone without access to a car. Qualified riders can get transportation for work, medical appointments and grocery shopping. Merging the two programs will create a single point of contact for residents who use the program, extend the hours of the Castle Rock program to match those of the county’s and reduce the amount of staff time the town spends on administering the program, Watts said. Many of the riders who use the taxi service use both programs and, on several occasions, confusion arises for users of the dual services, Watts said. Taxi continues on Page 12

Pot issues get heated Legalization could come back to ballot Sarah Bernacki’s first- and second-grade students at The Rock Christian Academy pose with depictions of their favorite “Duck Dynasty” characters. The school is hosting a visit from Phil and Willie Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” on May 19 in Castle Rock. Photo by Rhonda Moore sion of the existing building, revitalize the school’s playground and provide financial aid and scholarships to families who can’t afford the tuition. When the Douglas County School District voucher program became stalled in a legal battle, the school wanted to find a way to help families afford to send their kids to the private Christian academy, he said. “When your heart believes in something as strongly as I believe in the school and you can see what it’s doing for kids and God’s presence, I said I’m going to keep calling until I get a yes,” Brumbaugh said. “The Dynasty continues on Page 12

ducky-isms from willie robertson Pros: • I know their habits, which makes it easier to motivate them. • When they’re not at work, I know exactly where they are: hunting. • If they mess up at work, I know where they live. • The money always stays in the family. Cons: • You can’t fire your family

when they screw up. • If there’s ever an issue at work, you can’t leave it at the office because you see them at dinner every night. • The term “show up to work on time” doesn’t apply to family. • Nap time at work is more frequent with family. Source: www.aetv.com/ duck-dynasty

By Vic Vela

vvela@ourcoloradonews.com A late legislative session effort that could put Amendment 64 back on the ballot led to a fingerpointing exercise in political theater late last week — a wild turn of events in Report marijuana regulation activity that capped an eventful period of pot-related action at the Capitol. News of an Amendment 64 repeal effort generated buzz, just two days after the first piece of legislation that seeks to set up a

Capitol

Pot continues on Page 7


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