April 23, 2015 VOLU M E 2 8 | I S S UE 22
HighlandsRanchHerald.net D O U G L A S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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PROFILE
Em i ly R os e Abr u z z o
15-year-old professional pianist plays to her biggest crowd at the Highlands Ranch Mansion at volunteer appreciation dinner April 17
Property values on rise Notices to be mailed; first round of appeals due June 1 By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando@colorado communitymedia.com
Emily Rose Abruzzo, 15, performs on her transportable digital piano for attendees of the Highlands Ranch Community Association’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner April 17 at the Highlands Ranch Mansion. At about 120 people, the crowd at the mansion was Abruzzo’s largest group at one time to see her perform. Courtesy photo
By Christy Steadman | csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Why she’s in the news
Playing a family heirloom
Crowd-pleasing songs
Underway to professionalism
Emily Rose Abruzzo performs at Julie’s Hallmark, at Highlands Ranch Marketplace near Highlands Ranch Parkway and University Boulevard, on May 2 for the store’s Spring Fling. Emily Rose, a 15-year-old Highlands Ranch native, grew up an airline child. Her father, Len, has been a pilot for 31 years, and her mother, Jennifer, was a flight attendant for five years. It’s no wonder her favorite song to play on the piano is “Raphsody in Blue” by George Gershwin— a song most commonly known as the United Airlines theme song.
Emily Rose’s great-uncle, Lawrence Hanson, an American WWII soldier who died while guarding a monastery in Italy in 1944, thought his nephew and niece, who was Emily Rose’s grandmother, Joan, should own a piano. Before being deployed overseas, he bought them a Betsy Ross Spinet piano. Emily Rose’s parents inherited the piano when they bought their first house 18 years ago. One day, Emily Rose sat down and began to play. “If we never had that piano,” her mother said, “we never would have discovered little Emily Rose’s talent.”
Emily Rose began piano lessons when she was 8. Her music teacher, Maralee Richards of Highlands Ranch, teaches her students to read music. With that skill, Emily Rose can play at least 65 songs, she said, including a such classical masterpieces by Bach or Beethoven, songs from musicals such as “Cats” or “Phantom of the Opera,” numerous Christmastime favorites, some international songs and even the Beatles. Emily Rose enjoys challenges, so along with the 14 other Disney tunes she plays, she is learning “Frozen”—which is nine pages of sheet music.
Emily Rose played publicly for the first time in front of 70 people at a July wedding in 2011. Shortly after, Tipsy’s Liquor World hired her for a silent auction to raise money for breast cancer research. Emily Rose now performs at a variety of events, from recitals at the Brown Palace and churches to senior centers and appreciation gatherings. She likes to make people happy, she said. “They compliment me,” Emily Rose said.
Home values in Douglas County are on the rise across the board, which will mean higher property taxes for many. The county will be mailing out newly calculated notices of property value May 1. The largest percentage of homes in the county falls into the $300,000-$450,000 range. Those homes, on average, have seen an 18.5 percent increase in value since the last valuation period two years ago, according to the county. Home in the $150,000-300,000 range show an average increase in value of 22 percent and homes under $150,000 have shown an average increase of 28 percent. “Condominiums and townhouses have seen the greatest increases,” said Lisa Frizell, county assessor. “That makes sense because they saw the greatest decreases during the recession, so they had the furthest to come back up.” According to recent data by the Douglas Elbert Realtor Association, the median price of a single-family home in Douglas County in 2014 was $375,000 and the median sale price of a townhouse or condo was $224,000. Colorado state law requires that each county reappraise property values every two years, and 2015 is a reappraisal year. The state requires that appraisals by the county examine data from a specific twoProperty continues on Page 9
HOW INCREASES STACK UP, BY VALUE LESS THAN $150,000: 28 percent increase $150,000-$300,000: 22 percent increase $300,000-$450,000: 18.5 percent increase $450,000-$600,000: 15 percent increase $600,000-$1 MILLION: 14 percent increase OVER $1 MILLION: 11 percent increase Source: Douglas County Assessor’s Office
Exchange students experience American culture Family has participated in program since 1992 By Christy Steadman
csteadman@colorado communitymedia.com
Terri and Rich Elms aren’t called mom and dad just by their five children, but by at least 15 international students as well. “I call it 15 kids and counting,” Terri said. “They become a friend, and a family member.” The Elms have been a host family with Youth for Understanding, a nonprofit international educational organization, since 1992. With this year’s two exchange students, the Elms household in Highlands Ranch consists of: Faith, 9; Adrianna, 11; Conner, 14; Madison, 15; and Makayla, 17; and Emi Osada, 17, of Japan; and Jens Krause, 16, of Germany. When the students first arrive, they probably feel like visitors, said Terri, the organization’s south-metro area coordinator. But then relationships form and they be-
come part of the family, a connection that lasts long after they return to their home countries. On average, Youth for Understanding brings about 2,000 high school students, ages 15 through 18, from about 60 different countries each school year. Students can participate in any course offerings and extracurricular activities, with the only classes the organization requires being English and American history. “Not everybody can have two homes, in two different countries,” Osada said. “I have one brother in Japan, but now I have six siblings.” In Europe, a person sees American culture in movies, Krause said, but “you don’t really know what it’s like until you experience it.” “They come here to live and experience everyday life,” Terri said. And “your ordinary life is extraordinary to an exchange student. For them, each experience is unique.” But the experience is unique for the host family’s children, also. “Our normal, everyday routine is so special to share with them,” Madison said. “We Exchange continues on Page 9
The Elms Family, of Highlands Ranch, during the 2014-15 school year. Front row, from left, host mom Terri, Faith, 9; Emi Osada, 17, of Japan; Madison, 15; and Adrianna, 11. Back row, from left, host dad Rich, Makayla, 17; Jens Krause, 16, of Germany; and Conner, 14. Photo by Christy Steadman