April 2, 2015
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A publication of
WHAT’S INSIDE
School funding options explored
SHERIFF’S OFFICE K-9 UNIT
Exit interview: Longtime Castle Rock Town Manager Mark Stevens sits down for a Q&A before his last day on the job. See Page 2
This year is the last chance to ask voters to maintain taxes By Jane Reuter
jreuter @coloradocommunitymedia.com
All about that bass: Castle View High School sophomore is an orchestra all-star. See Page 12
Spring break: Find out how local teams fared in out-of-state competition. See Page 24
POSTAL ADDRESS
BY THE NUMBERS
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Deputy Brad Proulx and his partner Scooter, a Belgian Malinois who will be 2 years old in June, training at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office training facility March 25. Photos by Mike DiFerdinando
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(ISSN 1067-425X) (USPS 567-060) OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Englewood, Colorado, and the towns of Castle Rock, Parker and Larkspur, the NewsPress is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media and additional mailing offices. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. GE T SO CI AL WITH U S
P LE A S E RECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Representatives of 13 Douglas County School District School Accountability Committees let the school board know they want a bond measure to fund capital needs on November’s ballot. They presented a position statement to the board during a recent meeting. School board President Kevin Larsen said the board hasn’t yet made a decision about the potential ballot issue. Doug Benevento, board vice president, said at a recent meeting he won’t support such a question until the Larsen state addresses its schoolfinance formula. Larsen said the district is considering every potential financing angle and prioritizing needs. “Only after we’ve done that next phase do we know what the solution is to be,” he said. “I think we have an obligation to say, is this only solved by bond debt or are there other solutions? I don’t think putting — Percentage it on the ballot is a of the 84 school foregone concludistrict facilities sion.” deemed in need of The school significant capital district has a final improvements, opportunity in with five November to ask categorized at taxpayers to main“high risk of tain tax bills that component would otherwise failure.” go down this year. If voters approved — Number the proposal, their of facilities school tax bill considered in good would remain uncondition changed instead — Average age of dropping by in years of school about $36 a year. district buildings “I don’t think there’s any chance — Age of the there’ll be a tax oldest building increase on the in the district, ballot this fall,” Douglas County Benevento said High School in during a Feb. 20 Castle Rock Republican party breakfast in Castle Rock, noting vot— Number of ers rejected simistudents projected lar proposals in to be enrolled 2008 and 2011. “I in the Douglas think what they County School told us when they District by 2040. rejected all those That’s double the tax increases is, present enrollment `Why don’t we
Welcome, Atlas and Scooter The dogs are now on duty in Douglas County By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com When the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office recruits new officers for its K-9 Unit, personality is everything. “If it’s a really mellow dog and a mellow handler, you’re going to have a snail in a couple of years. If it’s a really hyper dog and a hyper handler, you’re going to have a firecracker that’s just waiting to go off,” said Douglas County K-9 Lt. Tommy Berella. “You want to find a balance.” According to Berella, finding the right dogs with the right temperament for such a demanding job can be challenging. “If you look at a dog and it’s in its kennel, cowering, that’s a dog that’s probably had some
Atlas in one of two new K-9 officers at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Atlas, along with Scooter, was paid for by the group Friends of the Douglas County K-9 Unit. issues in the past, and that’s one we won’t take,” Berella said. “If one is trying to eat you through the fence the entire time and going crazy, that’s not good.” The sheriff’s office thinks they have found a perfect match with their two newest recruits, Scooter and Atlas.
Both dogs are Belgian Malinois and came from Vohne Liche Kennels in Indiana. Scooter is just shy of 2 years old and Atlas is 3. The sheriff’s office has been working with the kennel since 2002 and has purchased and trained 12 dogs with them. The dogs were paid for by the group Friends of the Douglas County K-9 Unit. The sheriff’s office will have a total of six K-9 teams now — each team consists of one K-9 and one K-9 handler. Scooter will be partnered with deputy Brad Proulx and Atlas will be partnered with deputy Tyler Morris. Both officers are new to the K-9 unit— having passed through a rigorous application and testing process prior to being selected. The pair spent six weeks in Indiana training with their new partners in the early part of the year and have returned home now to begin their new duties. “We started at about 8 a.m. K-9 continues on Page 9
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have a more fair Source: Douglas and equitable sysCounty School tem for getting our District money back from Denver?’ ” Larsen agreed the state funding formula remains a grave concern. In 2014, the school board cited those issues when it decided not to put a capital Schools continues on Page 9