Castle Rock Town Talk – Town purchases Cantril School to preserve local history

Acornerstone of the Town’s Vision is maintaining a Distinct Town Identity. A supporting principle of this is a community with a vibrant Downtown that values its history and heritage.

With the Town’s purchase of Cantril School in May, we’re excited to help ensure the past of one of the most signi cant historical buildings in Castle Rock is preserved and connects residents to the history and culture of their community for generations to come.

e present Cantril School building, constructed with rhyolite from local quarries, opened in 1897. In the same location stood the original two-story wooden schoolhouse that was constructed in 1874 and burned to the ground in 1896. e school was named after the Cantril family, who were early

Letter To The Editor

Dog is neighborhood danger e neighborhood of Terrain set between Founders Parkway and Highway 86 contains over 1,800 houses and counting. ere is an elementary school, multiple parks, two pools, and countless families seen cruising around on bikes or out for walks with their dogs. e last month has contained two worry more about us and how we were doing than how she was personally doing herself.

Inside of the neighborhood, there is a home causing distress to surrounding houses for one simple reason: a dangerous dog. If this dog were a person, you’d say it has a long rap sheet; a criminal history that has slid under the radar because of a slow-moving court system and lack of county authorities to recognize just how dangerous this animal is. But as the common phrase says, “there are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners,” and the more concerning fact is that the homeowners have done nothing to prohibit these incidents from happening again. I know this because I live across the street and live in constant fear of this dog attacking myself and my family.

As the news hit our ZLC23 class, we reached out to one another for comfort and understanding; it’s one of the things that happen when you become Ziglar certi ed and connect with your classmates, you graduate as di erence makers in the personal, professional, and spiritual lives of everyone you have the opportunity to meet. And Jill epitomized that mission and purpose, she changed us all. Even when she was going through life’s challenges herself, she was the rst one to respond to a prayer request, jump into a conversation, or ask a meaningful question during a podcast or webinar.

Jill was a di erence maker.

GUEST COLUMN homesteaders in the area and owned a sawmill nearby.

When the school became the rst in the County to o er high school classes in the late 1800s, students traveled from surrounding communities to get educated in Castle Rock. e building served students until 1983, when it transitioned into o ce space for the School District. e property was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984.

David L. Corliss

e 14,000-square-foot building sits on a 2-acre lot, also known as Schoolhouse Hill, at 312 Cantril St., east of Downtown Castle Rock in the historic Craig and Gould neighborhood. e Town purchased the property from the Douglas County School District.

di erent cases of the dog attacking children. Prior to those climactic unfoldings, this animal constantly chews through the wooden fence, which is unfortunately located by the neighborhood mailboxes. ere is no comfort in getting your mail without the noise of wooden fence posts being shredded and vicious barking just feet away from you. Now that I’ve seen one of the child attacks, I have absolutely no doubt that should that dog come through the fence while I am anywhere on the street, it would attack me.

e rst time I submitted a formal complaint was in August 2022 where I stated that if something wasn’t done immediately “people were going to get hurt.” Two di erent kids within the last month. e town shouldn’t be surprised if a lawsuit cites them next for slow response to such a serious matter. Trial is set for six weeks out and all we can do is hope the dangerous momentum does not continue.

Christine McGarry, Castle Rock

I write this column as a tribute to Jill, a true ZLC’er class of ‘23. I write this to remind us that we all have something to give to others regardless of how short or long our lives here on earth are. We can smile, be kind, show our passion, know our purpose, and simply care about the person sitting across from us in the moment, because that is who Jill was, a living example to us all.

Is there someone who you need to tell how awesome they are before they are gone? Did this tribute connect with you? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com, and when we can remember those who left their ngerprints of love and light on our lives, 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.

e Town’s primary goal for Cantril School is to provide options for public use and expand the Parks and Recreation Department’s program capacity while keeping the integrity of the building. Initial options are planned to include arts and enrichment classes and events.

Under the purchase agreement, the School District will continue to use the building through the end of July.

e Town plans to o er programming there beginning in fall 2023.

We look forward to hosting Mayor Jason Gray’s annual State of the Town public address at the property on Aug.16. Stay tuned and follow us on social media (@CRgov) for details in the coming month.

If you’ve been by the property recently, you may have noticed chain- link fencing being replaced by splitrail fencing. is is the rst of many updates to occur on the property. Before the building can be fully open for public use, many additional updates are needed. Renovations will focus on historic preservation and infrastructure investments to ensure the building is accessible for all. is work will be phased and prioritized as funding allows. We also will be exploring partnership opportunities and accepting donations to help fund some of the renovations.

You’re invited to learn more about Cantril School and keep up to date on the progress at CRgov.com/ CantrilSchool.

David L. Corliss is the town manager of Castle Rock

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Search-and-rescue dogs embody the mail carrier motto: “Neither snow, nor rain nor gloom of night” will keep these trusty canines from their appointed rounds — searching for people or items with single-minded purpose.

For the dogs and their trainers who are part of the Colorado branch of SARDUS — Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States — training is a weekly, if not daily, endeavor to prepare dogs to certify in an area of search and rescue or to keep the dog’s skills sharp after certi cation.

“ e training continues for life,” said Cathy Bryarly, a retired Boulder sheri ’s deputy who trains search-and-rescue dogs. “ is has to be part of your life. It goes way beyond a hobby, or it’s not going to work. It’s a calling.”

SARDUS members agree that it’s a labor a love based in their strong resolve to help others. Not only do the dogs and their handlers train multiple times a week, enlisting family and friends to hide, so the dogs have someone to search for, but handlers also attend seminars on a variety of topics and work together by laying trails for others to follow.

Trainers are always learning, so they can improve their canines’ ability to help in emergency situations.

Search-and-rescue dogs and their handlers are not paid; in fact, handlers spend a lot on the dogs, the equipment, the training and more. e goal is to be certi ed to go on missions, the term for helping law enforcement nd people, bodies or objects needed in an investigation.

Call the people trainers or handlers, but more importantly, they’re dog lovers who want to work as a team with their pets to help others.

The humility of training e trainers say it simply: Training their canines is humbling.

“Our dogs don’t make the mistakes,” Anjie Julseth-Crosby of Morrison said. “We do. ere’s so much to remember. e training is about me trying to understand what (the dogs) are saying. e human fails, not the dog.”

In fact, Julseth-Crosby, who started training her bloodhounds two years ago, has compiled a 19-page document called “ ings I wish I knew two years ago.”

Training involves having a dog follow a scent for several miles, helping the dog return to the SEE DOGS, P15